The Executioners
by TheDarkScribe
Summary: FINISHED Trouble arises for a gang of vampire slayers when a new vampire comes to town ... and people start disappearing.
1. chapter 1: the kill

The Executioners ****

Disclaimer: I don't own the Nightworld or it's concepts. Those belong to L.J. Smith. However, the main characters and plot in this story _are_ mine. 

The Executioners

Rain. It was going to rain and sometime soon. Jenny Carlson could smell the dampness in the air as she walked casually down the darkened street. She glanced automatically at the sky as lightning flashed in the distance. She hoped it held off until she was done with business.

Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she saw the dark shape following her, trying to decrease the distance between them without being noticed. Jenny grinned into the night. Everything was going as planned. 

On the outside, Jenny looked completely harmless. Her blond hair and innocent blue eyes combined with her short build fooled everyone into thinking she was just a normal teenage girl, nothing different from anyone else. And that was the way Jenny liked to keep it. It wouldn't do to have anybody guessing that she was a tried and true vampire hunter.

She patted the small object lying in its protective sheath underneath her jacket. It was her knife, a gift from Daniel, the man who had trained her. Its blade was carved from lignum vitae, the hardest wood on earth and often the choice for vampire hunters. The knife could pierce the skin of a vampire like it was butter. She also owned a few other weapons made from lignum vitae, but she had left them packed into the trunk of her car. She wouldn't need them, not against a single vampire.

Jenny didn't have a huge reputation as a vampire hunter like some of them did. Sometimes she wished she did, wished she could have vampires shaking in their boots simply by telling them her name. She would give anything to have the reputation of The Cat, an elusive vampire hunter in the Boston area. Nobody knew who The Cat was, but vampires knew they didn't want to mess with him or her. Despite Jenny's efforts to build a name, her record just wasn't all that impressive. Sure, it was quite sizable and one of the best in the area, but compared to some of those other hunters, mostly on either coast it seemed, she was nothing. She sighed. One day she would be known, she promised to herself. Those bloodsuckers would be as afraid of her as they were of The Cat. For now, she would just concentrate on the one behind her.

Jenny had spotted him sitting on a bus bench in the old district of town, his shoulders hunched as if to ward off the chilly October night air. He didn't fool her. She knew it was just an act; he could be completely naked and not feel cold. Strict training and years of experience had taught her to notice the signs. The way that guy was sitting perfectly still on that bench was not normal. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Lucky for her, too bad for him. 

She stopped her car a few blocks down from him, and walked back in his direction. She glanced at him as she walked by and gave him a small, innocent smile. He took the bait, just like she knew he would. As soon as she was about a hundred feet away, he stood up and walked after her. It was just a matter of time.

Up ahead, Jenny saw an alley between two buildings. Perfect. There was still the occasional car passing by and she didn't want to be seen. When she reached the alley, she pretended to drop her purse. Its contents spilled onto the sidewalk. She gathered them up quickly, as if she were worried, and cast a sideways glance at her stalker. He was closer now, and she could see a grin form on his face. He was probably thinking it was too easy. 

Jenny reached for a tube of lipstick and knocked it farther away, in his direction. Like she knew he would, he suddenly appeared in front of her, leaning down to pick up the lipstick for her. She stood and he handed it to her, smiling brilliantly. Jenny noticed he had almost unearthly good looks. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a killer smile, not to mention the kind of body that probably made most girls throw themselves at him. She almost hated to ruin it. 

She looked shyly up at him and said, "Thanks." Look at me, I'm all alone and helpless. He grinned at her.

"You know, you shouldn't be out here this late. It's dangerous." His voice was deep and provocative. Even with her knowledge of what he was, Jenny felt herself drawn to the voice. She would not be swayed that easily though.

"I like danger," she said in a throaty voice, turning to flirt mode. "And are you dangerous too?"

His grin got wider. "Only if you want me to be."

She giggled. God, she sounded so genuine she even irritated herself. She deserved an Oscar or something. "Are you volunteering?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, deliberately flashing her neck at him. Yummy. His eyes automatically darted to her throat. He licked his lips and tore his eyes away.

"Why don't you let me show you?" He stepped into the alley. She glanced into it, but couldn't see much. Shadows filled the space. She wouldn't be able to go too deeply inside or he'd have the advantage of vampire sight over her, if by some small chance she messed up her initial attack.

"But I hardly know you," she said, in the tone of voice that let him know she wasn't really worried about that.

"You said you like danger," he said. "Let me show you how much you can really love it."

She followed him a few feet into the alley and then stopped. It was dark, but she could still see. She slipped her right hand under her jacket and wrapped her fingers around the handle of her knife. "Well, where's the danger?" she asked seductively.

"Right here," he whispered and bent over her, as if to kiss her. Jenny didn't give him the chance to go for her throat. 

"You're wrong," she whispered back, feeling the warmth of his breath on her neck. She pulled out the knife. "It's right here." She shoved the knife into his chest, right where his heart would be. He gasped and stumbled backward, his hands automatically clawing at the wood stuck inside of him. His eyes, glowing like molten silver, stared at her in astonishment. She smiled as he fell to the ground, twitching in agony. "Surprise!"

She knelt down in front of him, staring into his eyes. The silver was fading as the twitching became less. "Die already, dammit," she hissed at him. Finally, the light in his eyes went completely out, and all that remained of him was a shriveled husk of a body. Jenny found it fascinating that when killed in this manner, a vampire's body mummified, closing in on itself, its skin becoming tough and leathery. This one no longer looked the lady-killer of a few minutes earlier. He was just some dead thing. Jenny reached forward and pulled the knife out of his chest, automatically wiping off the blade on the sleeve of his jacket. She slid the knife back into its sheath and stood. "Guess this just wasn't your day, was it?"

Whistling, she stepped out of the alley and walked back to her car. She felt on top of the world. She always did after a recent kill. She felt refreshed, almost . . . cleansed, in a way. She was going to be late for the meeting now, but that no longer mattered to her. She felt she had done the world a great service.


	2. chapter 2: the meeting

Ten minutes later, Jenny turned her little blue Toyota into another alley a few miles away from the first one 

Ten minutes later, Jenny turned her little blue Toyota into another alley a few miles away from the first one. The buildings on this street were dark, rundown and looking quite abandoned. A perfect place to have a secret meeting. The alley opened into a small enclosed parking lot behind one of the buildings. Jenny parked the car next to four other, equally nondescript cars. A Harley-Davidson was parked next to the building. The others were already here.

As she walked to the door set into the wall, she automatically scanned the area for movement. If a vampire really was watching her, she wouldn't see him until he moved; vampires could hold perfectly still, unlike humans. If he did move, though, she'd be ready for him. 

When she reached the door, she tapped twice, paused, and tapped twice again. A slot in the door opened and a pair of eyes stared down at her.

"The time has come," a voice said to her.

Jenny rolled her eyes. "For blood to run and the Execution to begin," she finished. The door opened, and she stepped inside. "Like you didn't know it was me, Gunther." 

"Rules are rules," Gunther replied, following her as she went up the stairs at the end of the entrance hallway. The stairs were dark, but both had been up and down them so often, they didn't need a light. "Besides, you never know when one of them might be out there. Maybe even looking like you."

"Yeah, yeah." She turned and glanced at him over her shoulder. Gunther Bjorstrand was blond, blue-eyed, and big as an ox. Towering over Jenny by at least a foot and twice as wide, he looked like a bodyguard or a bouncer. Looks were deceiving though; he was quick on his feet and graceful with any weapon handed him. He almost never lost his temper, and was surprisingly gentle for a vampire hunter. "Am I the last one?" she asked.

Gunther nodded. "We've been waiting for you. Raina's getting impatient."

Jenny rolled her eyes again. Raina was always impatient with everybody. "Well, she's just going to have to wait a little longer."

"You aren't going to start anything again, are you, Jenny?" 

Jenny grinned into the darkness. "I don't know, Gunther. Depends how I feel. And whether or not Raina's being a bitch." 

Gunther shook his head. "Great," he muttered, not sounding at all reassured. 

It was no secret that Jenny and Raina didn't get along. Besides a basic incompatibility, both were vying for the position of leader, a place Raina currently held. Jenny knew she had a good chance at being voted as the new leader when the next election came around. Raina had a bad habit of making people angry. Jenny had to admit, though, that when it came to hunting vampires, Raina was one of the best. They were all one of the best.

"They" were sitting around a circle in the dimly lit room when Jenny walked in. There were six of them, including Jenny and Gunther. Raina Montagano, of course, sat in the center, her brilliant red hair cascading down her back. Tall and slim, her presence demanded attention. She narrowed green eyes at Jenny when she walked in. 

To Raina's left was Carl King, the newcomer to the group. Although Jenny still didn't know much about him, she knew Carl used to be a boxer, hence his well-built arms and chest. His dark skin shone in the lamplight as he smiled at Jenny. 

Next to Carl was Mariko Kawaguchi, Mari for short. Short and petite like Jenny, Mari had emigrated to the U.S. from Japan with her parents when she was just a baby. Jenny had known her for years. They had studied the martial arts together, and Mari had a black belt in karate, which she put to good use when on assignment. Her quick moves had more than once gotten her out of a tight spot. Without hesitation, Jenny claimed the spot next to Mari. 

On Raina's right, last but not least, was Michael Scherer. Michael actually fit the description "tall, dark, and handsome" perfectly. When standing, he was around six feet tall, a good seven inches taller than Jenny. His dark brown hair was so dark it looked black, falling in unruly natural curls over his forehead. Usually, he kept it short enough to be rid of the curl, but he hadn't cut it in a while. His eyes, black and bottomless, saw everything. He spent most of his time in silence, watching and listening, taking in everything. Nothing got past Michael Scherer. As usual, Jenny felt her pulse speed up when she saw him, but she paid no attention. The day when Michael showed any romantic interest in Jenny would be the day pigs would fly. Raina, Jenny knew, also had an interest in sinking her claws into Michael, but he didn't share the feeling. Much as Raina tried, Michael always blew her off.

Three girls, three guys. That was Jenny's gang. They were known on the streets and to each other as "The Executioners," a name they had given themselves. Their goal was to take out as much of the Night World's vampire population as possible. To each and every one of them, vampires were a curse on humanity. The only good vampire was a dead vampire. They had been fairly successful. In the year since their first official meeting, when it had only been four of them, they had managed to rid the world of 39 vampires. It might have been more, but for the fact that they were stuck in the Midwest, where the vampires tended to be more spread out and harder to find. 

It also didn't help that most vampires were rule-abiding members of the Night World, a secret society of vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and werewolves. The Night World existed right alongside the human world, secrecy being their strictest rule. If a Night Worlder were to tell a human about the Night World's existence, the penalty was death. Thus, most humans had no clue they were living among monsters. They could go to school with, even be friends with a vampire or witch, and never know the difference. Some humans found out, through whatever means. The Executioners were some of the few who knew of the Night World.

That was what made everything so dangerous. If the Night World council ever found out who The Executioners were, they would kill them. When the gang hunted, they mostly went alone, and to deserted places where they might find a lone vampire, kill him, and get out of there before they were discovered. Jenny shuddered to think of what would happen if their identities were found out. She would have to flee, lose her identity. Like the Witness Protection Program, only without the aid of the government, and with a much greater chance of discovery.

Nevertheless, the six of them were willing to risk anything for the cause. Vampires were out there at that very moment, sucking the life out of some innocent human. They were some of the few in a position to fight; they had to do it, for humanity's sake.

Jenny ran a hand through her hair, and leaned back on her elbows, locking gazes with Raina. Raina glared at her.

"So glad you decided to join us, Jenny," she said frostily. "Can we get on to business now?"

Jenny shrugged. "Don't let me stop you. I was only out staking a vampire. Nothing important." Mari gasped and grabbed Jenny's arm.

"Were you really?"

Jenny nodded, and gave Mari a high five. Carl gave her an open-mouthed gape of jealousy.

Raina ignored Jenny and glanced around the circle at the rest of the gang. "Alright. I've been keeping my ears open for any new activity, but I haven't heard anything. Have any of you found anything new?"

Shrugs traveled around the circle. They looked at each other with disappointment. It had been a few weeks since they'd had any major action. They were all getting a little antsy. The occasional staking of a lone vampire just wasn't much to talk about, although it did make Jenny feel good that she had just done it and Raina hadn't. War with Raina meant scraping for every point you could get.

"Well, actually . . ." Mari began.

"What, Mari?" Jenny asked, excitement kindling in her stomach.

"Yeah, what?" Gunther grinned wildly. "Did you find a new club or something that we can storm?" 

"Wait a minute, Gunther," Raina interrupted. "If it is a new club, there is no way in the world we would storm it. You know better than that. After what happened the last time . . ." 

Carl looked interested. "What happened?" He had only been with the gang for three weeks, so he had only seen action once. The club incident had been before he arrived.

Jenny laughed. "A few months ago, we got word about a new Night World club on the south side of South Bend. We were all so excited, we didn't really think of a plan first."

Gunther looked indignant. "It would have worked, if you would have let me go in first."

"It would not have," Raina sighed. "We went rushing into this club, swords and knives waving in the air, and of course the vampires were on us in a second. We barely got out alive."

"The only reason we did get out was because of Michael," Jenny added, throwing a glance in his direction. He raised an eyebrow and shrugged it off. "He stayed outside, and as soon as he heard Raina screaming, he circled around back and came in behind the vampires." Raina gave Jenny an icy glare, but Jenny ignored her. She felt exhilaration coursing through her veins as she thought about that night. It had been scary, but also really exciting. In the middle of a pack of wild vampires, taking them down one by one with her trusty knife, Jenny had known she had been born to be there in that moment, and to be a part of the gang. 

"Michael started going at them from behind, and they thought there were more of us, that they were surrounded. Half of them turned and ran out the door," Mari recounted, a grin on her face. "We got the ones that were left."

"And that," Raina finished, with a pointed look at Gunther. "Is why we never just 'storm' into a situation. We got lucky, but it might not happen that way again."

Jenny turned and grinned at Mari. Mari grinned back. She had as much fun as Jenny that night. "So, what was that news you had?" Jenny asked her. That caught the rest of the gang's attention.

"Yeah, tell us, Mari. I'm dying to know," Gunther said.

"Well, I was in the bathroom at school today, and this girl walked in." Mari paused for suspense. Jenny laughed. Gunther was clearly going crazy wanting to know. 

Raina gave Mari a look that clearly said to get on with it. Mari smiled and continued, "Anyway, this girl was new. I've never seen her before. And I knew the moment I saw her that she was one of them. Lamia, in fact, by the looks of her."

A look of understanding crossed Gunther's face. "And where there's one new vampire . . . "

"There's usually more!" Jenny finished. She clapped Mari on the back. "Good job, Mari."

Carl hooted. "Alright. Finally I get to kick some vampire butt!"

Raina held up a hand for quiet. "So what we need to do is find out more about this girl."

"One or two of us should make friends with her. That would be the easiest way. Maybe she'll let something slip," Jenny suggested. Mari nodded.

After a moment, Raina nodded too, a bit grudgingly. "Yes. Who wants to do that?"

"Definitely not Raina," Jenny heard Carl mumble to Mari. "She would probably scare the girl off!" Raina opened her mouth to say something nasty back, but Mari quickly interrupted.

"I will," she volunteered. "Jenny can help me if she wants."

Jenny nodded. "Sure."

"Good idea," Michael said, one of the rare times he said something at a meeting. "Everybody wants to get to know Jenny." Raina bristled and Jenny looked at Michael in surprise. He smiled at her.

"Thanks Michael," she said, smiling back, enjoying the look on Raina's face. Score one for Jenny. "I guess that's all for tonight then, right Raina?"

Raina looked disgusted. "Yeah, whatever. If no one else has anything to say, then we're done."

The group looked at each other for a second. After nobody said anything, they stood and headed for the door, Raina first. Jenny hung back, waiting for Michael as he casually picked himself up off the floor. When he saw her standing in the doorway, he stopped. 

"I just wanted to say thanks again," she said. He nodded. "I mean, the look on Raina's face . . . it was priceless."

Michael grinned at that. "She just can't seem to get it through her head that I don't want her." 

"She thinks everybody should want to worship her, that's all. That's why she doesn't like me, because I don't fall to my knees every time I see her. Talk to you later." Jenny gave a small wave and turned to go. She glanced back at him one more time. He stared thoughtfully at the floor for a second, then leaned over and blew out the lamp.

Jenny made it to her car before her legs started feeling weak. She got in quickly and sat for a second. Leave it to Michael to turn her legs to rubber. She was hard as nails going up against vampires, but two words from the man of her dreams and she was reduced to a quivering mass of Jell-O. She leaned her head on the steering wheel and groaned. "Michael, get out of my head!" 

Sighing, she gathered herself together and pulled out of the parking lot, resisting the urge to check the rearview mirror every two seconds to see if he was behind her on his Harley. The first drops of rain splattered on her windshield. She turned on her wipers and glanced at the clock on her dashboard. It read 1:14 a.m. Great. Her foster parents were going to kill her for being late. Again.


	3. chapter 3: ashton

Jenny caught her first glimpse of the girl at school the next day 

Jenny caught her first glimpse of the girl at school the next day. She knew it was her the moment she saw her. She didn't need Mari there to confirm it. She could tell by the way she walked, the way she looked. The girl was definitely a vampire. She didn't walk, she glided. She was beautiful, inhumanly beautiful. Jenny felt the urge to whip out her knife and go after her right then and there. She felt insulted. This . . . creature was invading her territory. Her skin crawled.

No, she told herself. That's not the assignment. She tailed the girl to her next class, ironically, European Lore. The class where they taught humans that vampires weren't real. She probably got a kick out of that. Jenny hurried to her class and spent the hour wondering what had brought the vampire here. What were her reasons? Were there more of them?

Jenny looked for Mari after class, but she was nowhere to be found, so she decided to approach the girl alone. She found her in an upstairs hallway, stuffing books into a locker. Jenny was again struck by how beautiful she was. Long, shiny black hair fell in soft curls down her back. Her skin was smooth and unblemished, creamy. She exuded exotic appeal. Jenny noticed no guys had passed her yet without glancing at her, doing a double take, and looking back at her again. Jenny felt a twinge of jealousy. She wished she had the looks to make guys take a second look at her. Most guys walked past her without even one glance. The girl paid no attention to her surroundings. She shut her locker door and stood. Jenny knew she had to act now.

She took a deep breath and walked up to the girl, pasting a friendly smile on her face. The girl noticed her coming and looked at her. Jenny blinked when she made eye contact. The girl's eyes were a pale, icy blue with a ring of violet around the outside, very strange looking. Combined with her black hair, the girl looked positively out-of-this-world. Some vampires still managed to look fairly human, but this girl . . . nothing about her was human at all. Jenny understood why Mari thought she was Lamia, a naturally born vampire. Made vampires just didn't have that much of a supernatural aura. Jenny wondered for the first time if the girl was a Redfern, descended directly from Hunter himself. If she was, they were in for some trouble. Jenny gaped at the girl, completely blowing her cover of ease. 

The girl nodded as if she understood. "I know. They're very strange, aren't they?" she asked, gesturing to her eyes. "Everybody is surprised the first time they see them. It's okay, I'm used to it." She smiled and stuck out her hand. "I'm Ashton Silverwind."

Jenny bit her lip, and grabbed Ashton's hand, praying the girl couldn't sense the real reason she was uneasy. She had never shaken hands with a vampire before, not without using it to throw them to the ground. "I'm Jenny. Jenny Carlson." 

They shook hands and stood staring at each other. Ashton finally cleared her throat, "Well, it was nice meeting you, but I should get to lunch." She gave Jenny an odd look, then turned to leave. Jenny kicked herself mentally. Come on, girl. Get a grip on yourself.

"Um, wait!" she called after her. Ashton turned and waited for Jenny to catch up. "I'm sorry, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to eat with me and my friends, seeing as how you're new and all." What was she doing? Inviting a vampire to lunch? Great idea. The Executioners would love it.

Ashton smiled, showing perfect white teeth. Teeth, Jenny knew, that included canines that grew to a few inches longer than normal. "Sure. I'd like that."

Jenny smiled wanly, and they walked to the cafeteria together. Raina and Mari sat at the usual table. Carl normally didn't eat with them and Gunther had tutoring during the lunch hour. Michael usually ate with them, but Jenny didn't know where he was at the moment.

Raina's eyes looked about ready to pop out of her head when she saw who Jenny was bringing to the table. Jenny smiled triumphantly and said, "Guys, this is Ashton Silverwind. She's new here." 

Mari took the cue and stood up, reaching her hand out to Ashton. "Hi Ashton. I'm Mari. Nice to meet you." Ashton smiled and sat next to Jenny, across from Raina.

Raina narrowed her eyes at Ashton, looking her up and down.

"Ashton Silverwind. That's a very . . . unusual . . . name." Lamia names usually were based on nature, and therefore were often different from normal human names.

Jenny flashed warning looks at Raina. What was she trying to do? Ruin everything before it even began? She looked at Ashton, alarmed.

Ashton didn't appear to notice anything out of the ordinary. She shrugged. "It's just my name. I got it from my parents." 

Raina didn't give up. "But Ashton? Where on Earth did they get that from?"

"It's very simple really. When my mom was growing up, she idolized her cousin Ash. When she had me, she named me Ashton as sort of a tribute to him."

That answered Jenny's question. Ashton did have Redfern blood in her, if fairly diluted. And that made her a dangerous opponent. Jenny hoped Ashton wasn't close to Hunter Redfern, the original lamia. His line of vampires had always been the strongest, and Hunter, along with the council, basically ran the Night World. He was not known for his kindness. If Ashton was kin to Hunter, The Executioners were asking for big trouble. At the same time, it thrilled Jenny's blood to think of the possibilities Ashton opened up for them. Instead of mostly made vampires, The Executioners might actually be able to get at some Redferns. Now that would be a blessing on humanity. The less Redferns in the world, the better. 

Jenny had heard of Ash, the cousin Ashton had been speaking about. She knew she was talking about Ash Redfern, one of Hunter's favorite right-hand men. Although, lately, Jenny had been hearing rumors about Ash and a human girl. Something about them being soulmates. Jenny didn't believe in soulmates, but she did believe something had happened to Ash, for he hadn't caused any real trouble for the humans recently. Maybe he was dead. That was probably asking for too much.

Raina apparently had been having the same thoughts as Jenny, because she suddenly backed off. "Isn't that sweet?" she muttered, then turned to her lunch.

Jenny attempted to make eye contact with Mari, trying to transmit her thoughts to the other girl. Mari was slightly wide-eyed, staring at Ashton. Jenny cleared her throat and Mari looked at her, her normal expression coming back. Jenny gave her a look, and turned back to Ashton, who didn't look like she noticed the sudden awed silence from the group.

"Don't worry about Raina," she said softly to the vampire. "She's not always that friendly to girls she considers rivals."

Ashton nodded, not seeming worried about it at all. "That's okay. I understand. I try not to let first impressions rule how I view people."

Jenny couldn't help thinking that this vampire had more character than a lot of humans she knew. The thought surprised her. She didn't think she'd ever have anything good to say about any vampire.

Michael suddenly appeared. He sat next to Raina, waving hello to everyone. His hair was wet, Jenny noticed, as well as the shoulders of his shirt. She wondered where he'd been. Then he saw Ashton. Jenny had been about to introduce him, but paused when she saw him staring at Ashton. Ashton smiled at him, looking very interested. 

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Why, hello. And who might you be?"

Jenny thought her heart was going to break. Couldn't he see that she was a vampire? A very beautiful vampire at that. Jenny's self-esteem took a nosedive.

"Ashton, this is Michael Scherer. Michael, Ashton Silverwind," she found herself saying in a flat, emotionless voice. Michael nodded at Ashton, then turned questioning eyes to Jenny.

"Is this, ah, the new girl I, ah, heard about?" 

Jenny nodded. "She just got here from . . ." She stopped and looked at Ashton for the answer.

"Las Vegas," Ashton supplied, flashing another smile at Michael. He smiled back, but noticeably less enthusiastically, Jenny noted with a flash of triumph.

"She was named after her cousin Ash, before you ask," Jenny told Michael deliberately, meeting his eyes. His eyes widened slightly to show he understood.

"What made you come here?" Mari asked, leaning around Jenny to look at Ashton. 

Ashton paused, her smile fading. "Family problems," she said shortly, shrugging her shoulders. She obviously wasn't going to elaborate any. Jenny raised an eyebrow at Mari. Problems with the fam? What kinds of problems? Las Vegas was pretty far away, probably close to 1500 miles. They must have been pretty bad problems. Jenny wondered if it had anything to do with the Redfern side of her family. After all, Hunter was a strict, "all humans are vermin" leader, and Las Vegas was the location of Lord Thierry's mansion. Thierry Descouedres was an elder in the Night World, one of the ancient leaders, and also the suspected leader of Circle Daybreak, a secret society that believed certain humans should be told about the Night World. Many Night World members and their so-called human "soulmates" belonged. If Ashton's family was somehow involved with Circle Daybreak, Hunter would not be happy about it. Jenny glanced at Michael and knew he was thinking on the same lines.

"Are you here alone?" Raina asked, leaning forward, a vicious smile on her face.

Good question, Jenny thought, but she wasn't about to say it aloud, especially not to Raina.

Another pause. "Um, no," Ashton said slowly, as if trying to decide how much to tell. "I'm staying with my grandfather." She looked distinctly uncomfortable now. 

Jenny stepped in before they pressed Ashton too hard. They didn't want to clue her in to the real reasons they wanted to know. She changed the subject. "Michael, why are you all wet?"

He shrugged. "It's raining outside." He didn't offer the reason why he had been outside in the first place.

***********

After that, lunch went uneventfully. Raina went off on the arm of a bulky football player, tossing her hair and swaying her hips seductively. She sent a triumphant look at Jenny before she went. Jenny kept a bored expression on her face to show she didn't give a care.

When the bell rang, Jenny said goodbye to Ashton and walked to her next class with Mari. Keeping their heads close and speaking in low voices, they discussed the new assignment.

"So what did you think?" Jenny asked.

"I think there's definitely more going on than meets the eye."

"Me too. Did you catch that thing about Ash Redfern? That girl has got to have Redfern blood in her!"

Mari nodded. "I wonder how close her family is to the Redferns. Must be pretty close if her mom named her after Ash. Do you think the family trouble she was talking about might have something to do with Hunter Redfern?"

"I don't know. I think it's worth finding out." Jenny leaned against the wall next to her classroom, thinking. "What are you doing after school?"

Mari shrugged. "Nothing, I don't think. Why?"

"Because I'm going to follow her and find out where she lives. Did you want to come?"

"Sure!" Mari frowned. "No, wait a minute. I forgot. I have a doctor's appointment after school." She stuck out her tongue in distaste. "My mom thinks I have an unhealthy pallor about me." 

Jenny laughed. "You look the same as you always do to me!" 

Mari shook her head and sighed. "I know. I do. But my mom hasn't seen me for a month, so to her, I'm sick."

"When is she leaving again?" Jenny asked. Mari's mother was a Japanese translator for a big law firm in South Bend. She was always being sent out of the country, leaving Mari with her elderly grandmother, a nice old lady, but sometimes a few cards short of a full deck. This was to Mari's advantage when she needed the privacy to be able to carry out gang orders, but Jenny often felt a little sorry for her. She knew Mari adored her mother and sometimes wished she could see her more often. 

"She's leaving on Friday. She'll be gone for three weeks." Today was Tuesday. Mari had three days to visit with her mother. She sighed again and picked up the book bag she had set on the floor next to her. "I better get to class before I'm late. Be careful this afternoon, okay?" She looked sternly at Jenny.

Jenny nodded. "Yes mother." Then she grinned. "I promise I'll try not to kill anyone tonight." 

Mari shook her head and walked down the hall. 


	4. chapter 4: damian

Two hours later, Jenny knelt in the dust beneath a window, shrubs pushing at her from either side 

Two hours later, Jenny knelt in the dust beneath a window, shrubs pushing at her from either side. She sighed and leaned against the house. She was getting bored with sitting here waiting. Like she had told Mari she was going to, after school she followed Ashton. Ashton, on a motorcycle, had taken Jenny clear out into the country. Jenny didn't even know where she was. 

Ashton's house was a rambling two-story log cabin, set back deep in the woods and accessible only by a narrow dirt driveway. The house was literally out in the middle of nowhere. Jenny had parked her car about a half-mile down the road from the driveway and jogged the rest of the way to house. It had taken her a good ten minutes just to get to the house. By the time she got there, Ashton was already inside. Jenny circled the house cautiously, peeking in the windows. She couldn't see Ashton in any of them, so she decided to hide in the bushes at the side of the house and wait for something to happen. 

She sighed again and pushed at the blond hair peeking out of the blue baseball cap she'd adorned so she wouldn't be easily recognized. Add to that a pair of dark sunglasses and a baggy blue sweatshirt, and Jenny was positive nobody would be able to accurately describe her if anyone saw her. Keeping her identity secret was definitely crucial. She patted her right forearm, feeling comfort at the lump she felt. Her knife. Another good reason to wear the bulky sweatshirt. It hid the spring-loaded knife sheath strapped to her arm. In a moment's notice, the knife would be out of the sheath and in her hand. She wasn't about to tail a vampire to its lair unarmed. That wasn't courageous, that was stupid. 

A door slammed at the front of the house. Jenny crept along the side of the house until she could peer around the corner. Ashton was just climbing on her bike, pulling a black helmet onto her head. Jenny flattened herself against the wall of the house as Ashton started the bike. The roar of the engine was deafening. Jenny waited, motionless, until the sound of the bike had faded into the distance, then she jogged toward the back door. With Ashton gone, Jenny had the perfect opportunity to take a little "tour" of the house. 

The back door was unlocked. Jenny slipped inside, pausing just inside the door to listen. Satisfied that there was no one else in the house, Jenny looked at her surroundings. She was in the kitchen, a spacious room with lots of counter space. Not surprisingly, the shelves were bare of food. Vampires didn't need human food to survive. 

Jenny crept down a narrow hallway off the kitchen. It was dimly lit with two doors on each side. At the other end of the hallway was the front door, and a set of stairs. She grabbed the knob on the first door to her right and twisted. The door was locked. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she tried the other three doors. All locked.

"Damn," she breathed. That left her only one choice. She walked to the foot of the stairs and stood staring up. Like the hallway, the stairwell was narrow. About six steps up was a small landing where the stairway did a ninety-degree turn, going up parallel to the hallway. 

Jenny pushed back the curtain next to the front door and peered out at the front yard. Other than tree branches blowing in the breeze, there was no movement. She took a deep breath and started up the steps. The stairs were dark and full of shadows, clinging to each corner. Jenny's muscles automatically tensed, preparing for action, as she neared the landing. She couldn't see what was around the corner. Just below the landing, she paused, leaning against the wall. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, then stepped around the corner quickly, already leaning over in a fighting stance. Light poured down the stairs from a small window at the top, revealing an empty staircase. She relaxed and climbed the rest of the way. 

At the top of the stairs, a hallway ran the length of the house in either direction, windows placed every six feet or so, looking out over the large second-story porch. At the end of each hallway, a door opened onto the porch. Four other doors dotted the wall opposite the windows. Jenny randomly turned left and tried the first door. It was locked. She shook her head in frustration and continued to the next door. This time the door swung inward and Jenny grinned. 

She stepped inside and surveyed the room. It looked like it belonged to Ashton. A light blue comforter covered the bed, and Jenny could see women's clothing hanging in the open closet. Other than the bed and a desk, the room was bare. No boxes or anything. Jenny raised an eyebrow. Guess Ashton didn't spend a whole lot of time in the house. Or wasn't planning on staying long. 

After opening all the desk drawers and finding them empty, Jenny stepped back into the hallway. She passed the stairs and tried the remaining two doors. The first was locked. She gasped when she entered the final room. The walls were painted black, the one window boarded over. Two tall, black candles lit the room. The only furniture was a bed sitting in a corner and covered with a black blanket, and a huge wooden chest pushed against the wall. 

Jenny tore off her sunglasses and looked around in awe. "What in the world is this?" she murmured. She walked slowly to the chest, and stared down at it. A large black iris was spray-painted in the center of the chest. Jenny's breath caught in her chest. A black iris. The symbol for lamia. Something important was in that chest. She could feel it. Unfortunately, the shiny silver padlock on the latch posed a bit of a problem. She pursed her lips and looked around for something to pick the lock with. She had to know what was in there. 

She decided to go back to Ashton's room. Maybe she had a bobby pin or barrette or something Jenny could use. She reached the first door before realizing too late that she could hear movement in the staircase. She froze just as someone stepped into the hallway. Jenny gasped and her eyes locked with another pair, pale blue with a ring of violet around the outside. Exactly like Ashton's, only it wasn't Ashton. Instead, Jenny stood facing another vampire, the spitting image of Ashton, only male. Surprise was evident on his face as well as Jenny's. They stared at each other for a few seconds, although it felt like minutes to Jenny. The vampire had pale, creamy skin, contrasting with the straight black hair falling carelessly across his forehead, and his mouth curled down in a sullen scowl. A black turtleneck and tight black jeans emphasized his thin, well-muscled body. He held a motorcycle helmet in one leather-gloved hand, and a lit cigarette in the other. He was gorgeous.

They stood appraising each other for what seemed like eternity. Finally, the vampire dropped his cigarette to the floor and ground it out with his boots. With narrowed eyes, he leaped at her. Jenny felt her body take over and she fell to her knees, rolling to the side. The vampire flew over her. He skidded to a stop and came at her again with lightning speed. Jenny knew she had to get out of that narrow hallway; she was no match against a lamia's speed and strength unless she had room to maneuver. She threw a fist at the vampire, connecting with his chin. She caught him off-guard and he paused, irritation passing over his face. The pause was all she needed. She took off in the opposite direction at a dead sprint, reaching the porch door and pulling it open. 

She fell out onto the porch, losing her balance for a second. At the other end of the porch, she spotted a set of stairs leading down the side of the house and she took off for them. Suddenly, the vampire's heel struck her square in the small of her back, and she tumbled to the floor, wincing in pain. A wave of numbness spread out from her back clear to her fingertips. For a few seconds, she couldn't move. Her vision spun out of focus and she shut her eyes, gasping. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of black leather biker boots standing in front of her. Deep, rumbling laughter echoed in her ears.

"My, what do we have here? A vermin spy?" The vampire chuckled. "And just in time for dinner. I'm starved."

Jenny forced herself to roll over on her back, fighting a wave of nausea. Her right arm was hidden from his view in this position. With a silent click, she triggered the spring mechanism holding her knife. It slid out into her hand, and she clutched it like a lifeline. 

The vampire grinned and leaned over her, his fangs lengthening and sliding down over his lips. He went for her neck and she brought the knife up, arching it toward his heart. To her surprise, he caught her wrist deftly, squeezing it tight. Using his other hand, he pried open her fingers, took the knife and tossed it behind him. It flew over the porch railing. Jenny's eyes widened. This vampire was faster than any she'd met before. And now she was weaponless and injured. This was not turning out to be a good day. 

"You think you can hurt me, vermin?" His voice gave her goose bumps for some reason. He threw back his head and laughed. Jenny felt anger well up inside her, and she wrenched her body to the left. She caught him by surprise and he stumbled backward. She clambered to her feet and ran for the stairs. She was halfway down when he grabbed the back of her sweatshirt and swung her to the right. She hit the weak wooden railing, and it splintered beneath her weight, spilling her six feet to the ground. She crashed into the ground on her left leg, sending another bolt of pain down to her ankle. Her hat flew off and her blond hair spilled out around her head. Her forehead smacked the ground and stars danced in front of her eyes. She groaned and pushed herself off the ground with her elbows.

Above her, the vampire leaped gracefully from the top of the stairs, landing solidly next to her. She lifted her head and looked at him. For a vampire hunter, I'm sure doing a lousy job of defending myself, she thought. All she could do was stare at him. She felt some satisfaction as his eyes once again widened in surprise when he saw her without her hat.

"You're a girl," he said, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled heartily. "You had me going for a while there." He shrugged carelessly. "Makes no difference. You're still vermin, and I'm still going to kill you." 

She wanted to make some smart comment, but her vision had started flashing again. She collapsed onto her back. "Like hell you will," she gasped. Come on girl, ignore the pain and get your butt moving, she reprimanded herself sharply. Do you really want to die like this? She took a deep breath, and forced herself to her knees. The vampire smirked at her. 

"Stupid vermin. You really think you can beat me? Alright, we'll just see." He leaned against the stairs, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for her to get up. He ran a hand through his hair, then pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. He stood smoking one, watching her with his pale eyes. 

Jenny struggled to her feet, closing her eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She sucked in a deep breath, and pulled her mind inward, concentrating on her body. She could feel an inner strength filling her muscles, and the aching pains seemed to lessen. She was Jenny, and she was an Executioner. Injuries didn't matter to her; she could beat this piece of scum.

She opened her eyes, and her vision was clear and focused again. The vampire stared at her, smirking. She swallowed and found her voice. "Well, come on. Or are you just going to stand there staring at me all day?" She beckoned him with her hands.

He took a long drag on the cigarette, and flipped it carelessly into the grass. Then he pulled off his leather gloves and tossed them on the stairs. He laughed, then came at her, moving so fast she barely had time to react. She quickly spun to the side, barely avoiding him as he barreled at her, then spun around and slammed her elbow into the back of his head. He grunted and whirled around, anger consuming his features. His pale blue eyes glowed with an unearthly light. He wasn't just playing anymore. She had made him mad. He scowled at her, his extended canines brushing his chin.

He charged at her, and she ducked, throwing herself at his knees. His knees struck her in the side and he flew over her, hitting the ground a couple feet behind her. She leaped to her feet, scanning the ground for some kind of weapon. She couldn't keep up this fight without something to use against him. She spotted a thick tree branch lying on the ground to her left and dove at it. Her hand closed around it just as the vampire landed on top of her, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped and rammed her elbow behind her. She caught him in the ribs, and he rolled off of her, holding his side. Jenny swung the tree branch, catching him square in the forehead. His jaw dropped and he staggered back, blinking. Jenny grinned wildly at him.

"That hurt? I hope so!" 

He muttered something under his breath, something Jenny was sure was not a compliment toward her. While he was still trying to clear his vision, Jenny snapped off the end of the branch, creating a crude stake full of sharp little pieces of wood. If he thought he was in pain now . . . She circled behind him, then threw one arm around his neck and the other under one arm. She pushed the stake against his heart, holding it firmly in both hands. She felt his muscles tighten against her arms.

"One move and you're a vampire shish kabob," she breathed into his ear.

He froze. "Who are you?"

She chuckled. "I would say I'm your worst nightmare, but although true, it's awfully cliché. Let's just say I'm nobody you want to mess with." 

"Alright. What do you want?" His tone was angry, but she sensed an undertone of respect in his voice. He knew he had underestimated her, and he probably wouldn't make the mistake again. 

"I want to know who you are and what you're doing here."

"I don't have to tell you anything."

Jenny pushed harder on the stake. She could see the tendons in his neck tighten. "No, you don't have to tell me anything. But I would highly recommend it over the alternative."

"Why should I tell you? You're just going to stake me anyway." 

Jenny laughed. "Hmm, a smart bloodsucker. How true. But if you tell me what I want to know, I'll make it quicker and easier on you."

He rolled his eyes. "How noble of you. If you really want to know, my name is Damian. I'm Ashton's brother, and I live here. Now who the hell are you?"

"Guess you'll never know," she said and lifted the stake to plunge it into his chest. Damian used the slight space to knock the stake out of her hand and spin around before Jenny even knew what was happening. Suddenly, Jenny found herself pressed against him, his hands clenching her upper arms tightly. It was like his arms were made of steel. She couldn't get free of them. She gasped and stared into his eyes. They were like deep pools of icy blue. She felt herself being pulled into them. She blinked. No, she had to fight it. It wasn't a good idea to be drawn in by a vampire's hypnotism act. She threw herself to the right in an attempt to shake him off, but he just grinned and squeezed her arms tighter, pressing them against her sides. 

"Well, isn't this a turn of events?" he whispered, his face inches from hers. She glared at him. "Too bad you're vermin," he continued, leaning toward her neck. "I like a girl with spunk."

"And I like a guy who's alive!" she said spitefully. Damian grinned and touched his lips to her neck. That's when it happened. As soon as they touched bare skin to bare skin, a flash of golden light flooded Jenny's vision, and suddenly she was . . . she didn't know where she was, but she wasn't inside her body anymore. It felt like she was floating in some deep space. She was suddenly aware of Damian's presence; he was there too. It was like she could sense him. She could almost see his thoughts. And she knew he was acutely aware of her too. A feeling of half disgust and amazement emanated from him. She could sense that he felt violated. Then she realized that if she could sense his thoughts, he could probably sense hers too. Panic overwhelmed her, and she tried to hide her thoughts. She couldn't have him picking up anything about The Executioners. He was doing the same thing. Both were throwing up walls to keep the other out. Jenny felt a mental pulling back, and suddenly she was aware of her body again. She opened her eyes. She was leaning against Damian, his mouth still on her neck. Her eyes widened.

Damian gasped and pushed her away. He stared at her, his eyes large and his teeth clenched. He looked suddenly frightened.

Jenny covered her mouth with a shaky hand. "What . . . what was that?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Oh my God, do you think we're . . ." She couldn't bring herself to say the word. Soulmates. The irony of the situation struck her like a ton of bricks. Anger flooded across Damian's expression. 

"Get away from me!" he cried. He turned his back on her, his shoulders hunched and tense. "Get out of here now before I kill you! Don't come back here again!"

Jenny didn't wait to think it over. She turned and fled on suddenly weak legs, stopping only to pick up her knife in the front yard.


	5. chapter 5: carl

As Carl stepped out the side entrance of the school that afternoon, a flash of red off to his right caught his eye 

As Carl stepped out the side entrance of the school that afternoon, a flash of red off to his right caught his eye. A girl in a red sweater stood leaning against the building, one foot braced against the wall and a book in one hand. She had curled her black hair carefully under, framing her face. With a slim figure, high cheekbones, and flawless chocolatey skin, she looked like a model. Carl grinned and sauntered over to her. 

She didn't notice his approach and jumped when Carl leaned next to her on the wall. 

"Hey, Tiffany. What are you reading?" Carl asked, trying his best to look cool and suave. 

Tiffany rolled her eyes at Carl. "Carl, what do you want?" she sighed. She leaned her head against the building, pursing her full lips in irritation. 

Carl shrugged. "What? I just wondered what you were reading." 

She raised an eyebrow and held up the book so he could see it. 

"Ah, 'Salem's Lot. Isn't that about vampires?" Carl asked. 

"Yeah."

"Why, Tiffany. Don't you know that vampires don't exist?" Inside, he was chuckling. If she only knew the truth.

She met his gaze, a seriousness in her brown eyes. "How do you know that for sure, Carl? Maybe they do exist and we don't know it. You're so narrow-minded."

Carl raised his eyebrows, surprised. "How can you say I'm narrow-minded? You haven't even gotten to know me. Yet."

She sighed and rolled her eyes again. "Carl," she warned.

"Aw, c'mon Tiffany," he groaned. "Go out with me. Just once." 

She leaned toward him. "Carl, I've told you a hundred times. I already have a boyfriend. I can't go out with you."

"But . . ."

She held up a finger. "No buts, Carl. No. That's all there is to it. No." A car pulled up to the curb and honked twice. "There he is now. I've got to go." She picked up her bag lying next to her and headed for the car. Carl stared after her, frowning dejectedly. Tiffany walked to the other side of the car and opened the door, pausing to mouth the words, "I'm sorry," to him before she got in. 

Carl started to wave goodbye, but paused when he looked at the driver of the car. Tiffany's boyfriend glared at him, then pointed a rather large finger menacingly at him. Carl raised his hands in front of him and shook his head. No, he didn't want any trouble. The boyfriend gave him one last look, then peeled out of the parking lot. 

Carl covered his face with one hand and leaned back against the building again, groaning. He had been trying like crazy to get a date with Tiffany, ever since he moved here from Chicago two months ago. He shook his head and started walking for home, hands in his pockets, vowing to himself that he would get a date with her before he graduated. He would. He just had to think of some way to get the boyfriend out of the picture.

As he walked, his mind was immersed in thoughts of Tiffany. For that reason, he didn't notice a figure step from behind a tree and walk quickly after him. By the time Carl realized he was being followed, it was too late. 

***********

The Executioners met in their building later that night. Jenny found it difficult to concentrate on what everyone was saying. She couldn't get Damian's face out of her mind. That afternoon had really scared her, right down to her bones. Just the thought of being soulmates with a vampire was enough to make her queasy. Mari sat next to her and gave her worried looks throughout the meeting.

"Jenny. Jenny!" Jenny snapped herself out of her fog and looked at Raina. Raina sighed and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Jenny. You're such a space-case tonight," she said nastily. 

"What? Oh, sorry," Jenny muttered. "What did you say?"

"I asked you what you found out this afternoon. Mari told me you followed the vamp." Raina's tone of voice said that she didn't really believe that Jenny had done it. 

Jenny shrugged. "Well, not much. I followed her to this log cabin way back in the woods out on County Road 23. After she left again, I got inside the house. Most of the rooms were locked. I didn't find anything in the other rooms." She stared solemnly at the rest of the group. She noticed that Carl wasn't there, and she vaguely wondered why. She didn't stay focused on it, though. She was trying to decide if she should tell them about Damian. She didn't want to tell them about him because she was afraid they'd find out that he might be her soulmate. Raina would definitely use that against her to gain an advantage in the run for leader. 

Most of the group looked content with her answer. Raina narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously, though, and Michael was looking at her intently.

Raina suddenly pursed her lips and nodded. "I see. So how did you get that bruise on your forehead?" she asked triumphantly.

"Bruise?" Jenny asked. "What bru-" She stopped when she found a tender spot on her forehead with her hand. She couldn't believe she had missed that. Yes, it was definitely a bruise right above her left eye. Damn. "Oh, well . . ." She paused, thinking what to say. "Yeah, there was one more thing. Ashton has a brother and he's here."

Raina looked startled and Mari gasped. Gunther stared at Jenny blankly. 

Mari grabbed Jenny's arm. "You mean he did that to you?" 

Jenny shrugged. "Um, yeah. We had a little bit of a . . . confrontation. He caught me in the house."

Mari's eyes widened. "So what happened?"

"Yeah, Jenny," Raina asked snidely. "What happened? I suppose you must have killed him, naturally."

Jenny gave a small smile. "Well, we fought and . . ." Jenny swallowed. Everyone was staring at her. What would they think if she told them that she hadn't killed him? That she had in fact almost been killed and in the end they both sort of let each other go. She could see Raina's evil smile already. That was exactly the sort of thing Raina was hoping she'd say. Raina had been trying to tear down Jenny's image since the start. Until now, Jenny hadn't done anything to warrant worrying about. Jenny met Raina's eyes and sat up straight, lifting her chin. "Yeah, he's dead. I don't think Ashton will know either, for a while. I don't think they saw each other a lot." 

Mari grinned. "Wow, Jenny. Good job. It looks like it was some fight."

"Yeah, Jenny," Gunther added. "Excellent." He grinned at her, a dopey smile crossing his face.

Raina sat back, an angry expression in her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip. 

"Thanks," Jenny said softly, looking at her feet. The meeting continued in other directions and Jenny forced herself to pay attention. They were discussing what they were going to do with Carl for not showing up. Once Jenny looked at Michael and was surprised to discover him watching her, a peculiar expression in his eyes. She felt her cheeks grow warm and looked away.

After they decided to just keep going with their plan, Raina adjourned the meeting. "Just keep your eyes and ears peeled for news. And tell Carl if you see him that he better have a damn good reason to miss this meeting." She turned and stalked out of the room, still furious that Jenny had won again. The others filed out behind her, Mari waving at Jenny. 

Jenny was the last out of the room. She blew out the lantern and walked slowly down the stairs. At the bottom, she found Michael leaning against the door, waiting for her. Jenny could hear cars starting out in the parking lot. Headlight beams filtered between the boards on the window, lighting up the small foyer. The light swept across Michael's face, letting Jenny see him momentarily. Jenny felt the familiar ache in her heart at the sight of him. 

Jenny stopped on the last step, hugging her arms around her. "Michael. What are you doing?"

He stepped away from the door and came toward her. "Waiting for you." He stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at her. She could barely make out his face in the dark, but as her eyes slowly adjusted, she could see the black holes of his eyes. 

She tried to sound casual. "Oh? Why?"

"I think you know why," he said softly. "You weren't telling the whole truth back there, were you?"

Jenny laughed nervously. "What? I don't know what you're talking about."

He reached out and grasped her upper arm with his hand. Jenny took a deep breath, trying not to let it affect her. "Yes, you do. What really happened this afternoon?" He stepped closer to her. 

Oh jeez, she thought. If he moved any closer, she'd spill everything without even thinking about it. 

"I . . . I told you what really happened." Her voice sounded too high and hollow. 

He stared at her for a minute. "All right," he said, letting go of her arm. "I can see you're not going to tell me. Not tonight anyway." He suddenly reached up and brushed his hand lightly over the bruise on her forehead, shaking his head. Jenny stiffened, her breath catching. He gave a wry smile and turned to go. He grabbed the doorknob and turned back to her. "If you're in some kind of trouble, you can tell me. I can help you. Or try at least." With that, he opened the door and disappeared into the darkness. 

Jenny stood in the stairwell until she heard his Harley start and roar off down the alley. When there was nothing but silence, she took a deep breath and sank down onto the stair. She rested her head in her hands and shut her eyes. It was amazing how complicated her life had become in such little time. 


	6. chapter 6: mari

A pounding woke Jenny the next morning 

A pounding woke Jenny the next morning. She wasn't sure how long it had gone on, but it took her a few minutes to register it. She opened her eyes and glanced groggily at the clock. It was a little past noon. She sighed and sat up slowly, rubbing her bruised forehead. It was a good thing it was Saturday; she had been exhausted. 

The pounding came to her then, short and insistent. It sounded like someone at the front door.

"All right," she yelled. "Just a second!" She went into the bathroom and quickly splashed some cold water on her face to wake her up. As she was drying her face, she wondered where her foster parents were. They obviously weren't home or they would have answered the door. 

She walked to the front door and opened it carelessly, something she wouldn't have done had she been awake for longer than five minutes. "Mari, hi," she breathed, leaning against the doorframe. "What are you doing here?"

Mari stood on the porch, dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and hugging herself against the chill in the October air. "Jenny, you have to get dressed," she said, her dark eyes large with worry. "Carl's gone." 

***********

As Jenny dressed, Mari sat on her bed and filled her in. "His parents say he never came home at all after school. They found his school bag lying on the sidewalk a couple of blocks from the school."

Jenny paused in pulling a navy blue sweater over her head and looked at Mari. "Was anything missing?" 

Mari frowned and shook her head. "No, nothing. He's just . . . gone."

Jenny finished dressing and started putting her hair back in a short ponytail. Her eyes met Mari's in the mirror. "Who told you all this?" she asked. Mari suddenly looked uncomfortable and Jenny nodded her head. "I figured. It was Raina, wasn't it? And she didn't have the decency to inform me." 

Mari shrugged. "Well, you know how she is. She doesn't like you. I think she was hoping that I wouldn't come tell you and you'd miss the meeting. You know how calculating she is."

Rolling her eyes, Jenny turned around. "Yeah, I know how she is. One of these days she's going to regret messing with me." 

"You'll show her, Jenny. You'll be the new leader."

"I hope so." 

As they headed toward the front door, Mari said, "Oh, we're meeting in the park since it's daylight." 

"St. Patrick's park?" Jenny asked. When Mari nodded, Jenny went on, "We can just walk there then. That would be safer. Our cars won't be seen, anyway."

Mari agreed and they headed down the driveway. They walked in silence so they wouldn't be overheard. Jenny took deep breaths of the autumn air and closed her eyes for a second. It felt so nice out. She loved the fall: the taste of the crisp air and the feel of it on her face, the crackle of the changed leaves under her feet. Everything was so beautiful. It was too bad winter followed. 

As they walked along a tree-lined street, Jenny became aware of faint footsteps behind them. They were so faint, neither girl would have heard them if they had been talking at all or not paying attention. Jenny stepped closer to Mari and said almost under her breath, "We've got company." 

Mari's eyes widened and she glanced at Jenny. "What should we do?" she asked.

"Just keep walking." Jenny eyed their location quickly. The street was in a relatively suburban area, but the houses were spread out and many had high privacy shrubs in front. Nobody was outside. That could be either a plus or a minus for them: they needed not to be seen if they were being followed by Night people, but if their pursuers were human and numbered more than four, they might need help. Then again, if it was more than one or two Night World people, they were in trouble anyway. She swore under her breath.

"I can't tell by listening how many there are," she said to Mari. She wanted to turn around and look, but resisted the urge; they risked the chance of being taken before they were ready if the pursuers thought they had been spotted. "Okay, be ready for a fight, just in case." Jenny suddenly stopped walking and knelt down as if to tie her shoe. As she leaned over her shoe, she glanced under her arm. She saw three blurs duck behind a car quick as lightning. Taking a deep breath, Jenny stood and began walking again. Mari looked at her casually.

"Well?" Mari asked.

Jenny swallowed. "There are at least three of them and they're definitely not human. Much too fast. I think they're probably all vamps."

"Oh God. I hope there aren't any 'wolves or shifters with them. Can we take them?" 

"What do you think?" Jenny asked, tensing the muscle in her right arm in preparation for popping her knife out of its sheath. 

Mari patted her side subtly and nodded. "Let's do it." 

"Okay, on the count of three. One . . ." Jenny popped the spring on her sheath and the knife slid comfortably into her hand. Mari casually reached under her shirt and pulled out her own knife, a smaller, wider version of Jenny's. "Two . . ." Their eyes met. "Three!"

They whirled around at the same time and rushed at the pursuers, roaring. Two of the vamps - they were definitely all vamps, Jenny noticed - paused a split second, then ran at them. A third vampire stood hanging back by a large tree as if overseeing everything. Jenny paid him no attention; she didn't have time. A tall, blond vampire was coming at her. She stopped suddenly and stepped to the side. The vamp ran past her, unable to stop, and Jenny sliced at him with her knife. She managed to cut into his upper arm, tearing the sleeve of his white long-sleeved T-shirt. At the back of her mind, Jenny heard Mari give her karate yell and one of the other vamps grunt. 

Jenny's vampire skidded to a stop and whipped around. Jenny grinned at him. "Ah, a made vampire, I see. You've just been made, haven't you? Or have you always been so stupid?" The taunt got the wanted response; the blond's eyes grew silvery and Jenny saw his fangs slide out of his mouth. 

"Vermin," he hissed. "You're the stupid one. Stupid and soon to be dead."

"Ooh . . . " Jenny couldn't help jeering. "Is that supposed to scare me? Come on, why are you just standing there? Come and get me." She held her hands out to her side as if saying, 'Look, I can't even defend myself.' He narrowed his eyes and leapt at her. Jenny grinned again. This was almost too easy. As the vamp leaped at her, she whipped her knife in front of her, holding it out in front of her chest. The vampire knocked her to the ground and landed on top of her. The blade of the knife slid easily into his chest, making him freeze and grab at the knife. 

"Oh no you don't," Jenny said. She pushed the knife in to its hilt and rolled over, spilling the vampire into the grass. He lay on his back writhing and trying to pull the knife out. Jenny crawled over and sat on his stomach, leaning over and holding his hands down with the full weight of her body. A high-pitched scream escaped from his throat and he looked at her, his eyes burning. "You're lucky you're young," she said cheerfully. "If you were old, it would really hurt." 

It took less than a minute for him to die. When the light left his eyes, Jenny took a deep breath and pulled out her knife. Then she stood up and froze. During her fight, she had completely blocked out the other vamps. Now she found herself looking at Mari in a vampire sandwich. On her left was the one she had been fighting with: a rather small vampire with wide shoulders and dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Mari had gotten a few good kicks in; the vampire had a few tears in his shirt. The other vampire had a hold of Mari's right arm and was holding it behind her with one hand. With the other hand, he held a wicked-looking saber of some sort in front of Mari's throat. It was that vampire that gave Jenny chills looking at him. He was tall and slim, and his hair was red as blood. He didn't look much older than Jenny herself, but when she looked into his golden eyes, she got the sense of centuries. This vampire was much older than any she had encountered before. There was something really big brewing if a vampire this old was involved.

The old vampire stared at Jenny, as if trying to pierce her soul with his strange eyes. "Don't move, or she dies," he commanded, his voice rolling over Jenny like silk. Jenny shook her head.

"I'm not." Her eyes met Mari's and she tried to tell her that she would save her. Mari looked scared to death, and Jenny couldn't blame her. The Executioners had never been in this situation before. 

"We appear to have a problem here," the vampire said. "You want to kill me and save your friend. But unfortunately, I don't want to die, and I want to keep your friend. What do we do about it?" He looked at Jenny with contempt written all over his face. 

Jenny scowled. "Why don't I just kill you and end your pitiful life?" 

The vampire smiled calmly. "Now, now. Don't be so violent. What a temper you have, little girl. It could get you into trouble."

Jenny hated threats. She clenched her fists tight at her side and strained to control herself. "Well, what do you propose we do?"

The vampire lifted an eyebrow. "I'll make a deal with you. If you can beat Jason here in combat, I'll release your friend. If not . . . well, I think you know what happens then. I'd love to take two Executioners home with me."

"You're on!" Jenny exclaimed without thinking. "Wait a minute. What did you call us?"

He chuckled. "Don't play dumb. We know all about your little 'gang' of vampire hunters. You just aren't as good as you think at hiding your identities. We have eyes everywhere."

"But . . ." 

He jerked the sword closer to Mari's neck and she tensed. "No more questions." Then he snapped his fingers and the other vamp, Jason, stepped toward Jenny. She immediately bent her knees into a fighting stance and held her knife in front of her. As Jason advanced on her, Jenny saw the other vampire backing away with Mari in tow. 

"Mari!" Jenny yelled. "You bastard! You promised!"

He laughed, deep and rumbling. "You'll see her again after you join her."

Jenny stepped to the side and tried to dodge around Jason and chase after Mari. Jason was too quick. In a flash, he was in front of her. Jenny kicked at him and he caught her ankle in his hand, yanking her off her feet. Her knife flew into the bushes on the other side of the sidewalk. As she hit the ground, Jenny saw the old vampire pushing Mari into a windowless van parked across the street; a few seconds later, the van took off down the street. She slammed her fist into the dirt in frustration. Mari was gone, and it was all her fault. The anger flooded her senses and a wild animal-like rage took over. 

Jason held her right arm tightly behind her back and was leaning in for her neck, his fangs elongated and his eyes dilated. Jenny lay limp on her stomach and waited until she felt his breath on her neck. "For an Executioner, you sure were easy to kill," he whispered snidely into her ear. 

She grinned at the ground. "I'm not dead yet." Before Jason had a chance to sink his teeth into her, she suddenly lifted her shoulders as far off the ground as possible and whipped her head backward. The back of her head caught Jason under the chin and he sat back, letting go of her arm in surprise. 

Blood ran down Jason's chin in a tiny rivulet. He touched his finger to it and looked at it in surprise. "You made me bite my lip, you stupid vermin." 

"Oh really?" Jenny jumped to her feet and slammed her fist into the side of Jason's head. He swung at her haphazardly, a little dazed. She danced back out of his way. Fury lit up his eyes and he lunged at her; he had only been playing before. Jenny held her ground and took a step to the side as he reached her. She grabbed his arm and used his momentum to spin him around. Then she let go and he went flying face-first into a tree. He staggered backwards, cupping his nose with his hands. A stream of blood ran down his face. 

"My nose! Look what you did! Do you know how long it will take for that to heal?"

A glint of metal caught Jenny's eye and she saw her knife caught in the branches of the shrubs. As Jason stumbled after her, she grabbed the knife and whirled on him, throwing it as she turned around. It flew end over end and finally lodged itself in the base of Jason's throat. He made a gargling sound and collapsed to his knees.

Jenny stood a few feet in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Jason, your nose is the last thing you need to worry about." She wanted to ask him what was going on, but she didn't think he could talk even if he was willing.

He clawed at the handle of the knife, then fell sideways. Jenny sat and waited for him to die. The other dead vampire was still lying on the sidewalk. What was she going to do with them? As she sat, her heartbeat finally stopped racing and she massaged her legs to get the tension out of them. Her poor body wasn't used to so much action so close together. Three vampires in as many days was a new record for her. That wasn't necessarily a good thing, though. Where were all these vampires coming from? And where had that one vampire taken Mari? Why hadn't he killed her? 

For the first time in a long time, tears filled Jenny's eyes. She hadn't cried since the night her family had been murdered by a gang of vampires. She had been eight, driving home with her parents after a movie. Their car had stalled and the vampires had appeared out of nowhere in the empty streets. Jenny had hid in the back seat of the car while her parents and older brother were slaughtered like animals. Since then, moving from city to city until coming to rest here, she hoped with every vampire kill that it was one of the gang that had ruined her life.

But she wasn't going to cry, she just wouldn't. She wiped the moisture from her eyes and stood up. Jason was definitely dead now. He had been startlingly handsome before, but now he was most definitely not. His skin had shriveled and dried slightly; he wasn't a newly made vampire, probably almost a half century old. The other vampire had only just been changed. He had not changed at all with death. 

Jenny pulled her knife from Jason's throat and wiped it off on his shirt. Then she dragged both bodies into the bushes where they would be safe until she could come back for them. With her knife safely sheathed, she started walking to the park again. Hopefully, everyone would still be there. Everybody, that was, but Mari and Carl.


	7. chapter 7: confrontation

"She's what 

"She's what?!" 

"Gone," Jenny mumbled, shaking her head. "Mari's gone. Just like Carl." She stared at the ground between her feet, trying not to look at Raina. She was sitting in one of the swings at the park, halfheartedly pushing herself back and forth. Raina stood in front of her, flame-colored hair falling wildly around her shoulders and her hands on her hips. Her green eyes glared at Jenny accusingly. 

"And you did nothing to stop it? God, Jenny, being in this group means looking out for each other!"

Jenny gritted her teeth and stayed silent. She wasn't about to argue with Raina now. It wasn't smart to get into a shouting match with Raina when her mind wasn't completely on it. And at the moment, Jenny's mind was in the stratosphere.

A hand fell gently on Jenny's shoulder, and she looked up to find Michael standing behind her. He and Gunther had gone to dispose of the two vampire bodies just as Raina had been arriving, and now Michael looked absolutely livid. His face was flushed and his eyes smoldered like two burning coals.

"I should have known I couldn't leave her here with you, Raina," he said in a low voice. 

Raina's face instantly changed. She stood there with a sultry smile and batted her eyelashes at Michael. "Michael. I didn't realize you were back."

"I can tell. Raina, why don't you give Jenny some slack for once. You're always railing on her. You know she did the best she could. You wouldn't have done any better in her place."

"I would have saved Mari," Raina said, the smile fading. "That's why I'm leader."

Michael shook his head, his dark curls bouncing against his forehead with the motion. He opened his mouth to say something, but the response came from an unlikely source.

"Raina, quit being such a bitch," Gunther said. He came up on Jenny's other side and stood - all six-foot-four-inches of him - with his arms crossed over his chest and a stubborn set to his jaw. He glanced down at Jenny on her swing and gave her a quick wink.

Raina stood staring at the trio, her mouth open slightly in disbelief. Her face went white and Jenny could see waves of fury sliding across her face. For a few seconds, they just sat and stared at each other. A little growl of anger slipped past Raina's lips and she whirled on her heel. After a few steps, she turned around and pointed a finger at them.

"You guys are going to regret this," she snapped. "You'll wish you never crossed me!" She stalked out of the park in a huff.

The three remaining were silent for a few seconds, then Michael murmured, "What was that she said about looking out for each other?"

Jenny sighed. "Yes, we'll have to be looking out for her - over our shoulder, behind us. Now she's really going to hate me." 

"Don't worry about it, Jenny," Gunther said, stepping in front of her. "She won't stay mad. She'll come crawling back."

"I hope you're right," she breathed. "It's not safe to be us with those vampires out there."

***********

Jenny sat forward in her seat and peered out the window. "Right here," she said, pointing. Gunther turned his car down the narrow dirt driveway leading to Ashton's house. Michael sat in the back seat, deep in thought. The three of them had decided that the best step to take next would be to go straight to the source. Jenny had convinced them that Ashton didn't really seem to be on the side of the vampire kidnappers; she had, in fact, seemed to be running from something. 

Jenny prayed that her instincts were right - if they weren't, the Executioners might be in some deep trouble. Just in case, they had armed themselves heavily for a fight. Jenny herself wore her knife strapped to her forearm and a deadly lignum vitae sword in a sheath on her back under her sweatshirt; she needed only to reach over her shoulder and pull it out. Michael and Gunther were similarly armed. If needed, Jenny figured they could probably survive going against half a dozen vamps. Any more than that and it was a toss-up. 

Gunther parked next to a tree in front of the house, and the three got out, carefully scanning the area. It appeared safe, but they would be on guard. 

"That's her motorcycle," Jenny said, pointing to the black Harley Davidson next to the porch. "She's here." And I hope Damian isn't, she added to herself. She found it easier to trust Ashton than Damian, and she had told the others that she had killed Damian. Not to mention that she just didn't want to run into him again. If they touched . . .

Michael stepped in front of Jenny and looked at her pointedly. "Let me go first." 

She nodded and they walked up the steps single file, Michael leading and Gunther holding up the rear. Michael knocked, and after a minute, Jenny saw the curtain in the small window next to the door move slightly. Then Ashton opened the door. 

"Hi," she said, smiling, but looking slightly confused. 

"Hi Ashton," Michael said. "Do you remember us?" 

Jenny stood smiling at Ashton, trying to look as friendly as she could. 

Ashton nodded, "Yes, of course. I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Would you like to come in?" She stepped back, holding the door open.

"Sure, thanks," Jenny said quickly, poking Michael in the back. They followed Ashton into the house. 

"We just need to talk to you for a second," Michael added as Ashton led them down the hallway to one of the doors that had been locked when Jenny had been there. The door now stood wide open and revealed a normal-looking living room. They entered the room and Ashton motioned to them to have a seat. Gunther sat in a reclining armchair in the corner, and Jenny sat next to Michael on a beige couch. Ashton seated herself in a chair opposite the couch. 

"I would offer you guys something to drink, but I'm afraid I don't have anything right now," Ashton said, smiling at them each in turn. Jenny thought Ashton paused longer on Michael than her and Gunther, and a little stab of jealously ran through her stomach. Ashton looked especially beautiful today. She wore a delicate white blouse that contrasted her pitch black hair and accented the pale blue of her eyes. Half of her hair was pulled back in an intricate knot on her head, and the rest fell over her shoulders. Jenny again felt plain and ordinary. She fought the feeling and looked at Michael, trying to ask him with her eyes how they should start.

Michael cleared his throat. "So, Ashton, are you enjoying being here?"

"Yes, I am," she answered, still smiling, but looking like she was wondering why they were here. "Everybody's been really nice."

"And how is your grandfather?" Jenny asked, staring at Ashton.

Ashton stared back blankly. "My . . ."

"You said you were living with your grandfather. How is he?"

"Oh!" Ashton laughed, but it sounded forced. "I'm sorry. Yes, he is also doing well."

"So where is he now?" Jenny asked, leaning forward in her seat. "Can we meet him?"

Ashton's smile slipped and she looked nervously at the three of them. "Okay, I know you guys know I don't live with my grandfather. Why are you here?"

"We need to know why you're here, Ashton," Michael said, gently. "It's important that we know."

Ashton bit her lip and stared thoughtfully at the floor. "Why do you need to know?"

Jenny decided to take a chance. "Ashton, we know you're a vampire, and we know about the Night World. We also know you're not here just for pleasure, and we want to know why."

Ashton's eyes widened. "But how do you know . . .?" She stopped and stared at them. "You are humans, aren't you?"

Gunther snorted and Jenny hid a smile. Michael rolled his eyes and answered Ashton seriously. "Yes, we're humans. But we know everything about the Night World." 

"But how do you know? Why aren't you dead?" Then, as if answering her own questions, Ashton breathed in sharply and abruptly looked more nervous than before. "You're . . . You're the Executioners, aren't you?" 

Jenny nodded solemnly. No need to say more and volunteer more information than needed. 

Ashton covered her mouth and stood quickly. "Oh my God, you're going to kill me, aren't you? I've heard of you guys. I may be a vampire, but I'm not much of a fighter." She glanced toward the door.

The Executioners stood also, and Michael walked up to Ashton. "No, we're not going to kill you, Ashton," he said softly. "If we're right about you, you're a renegade vampire, hiding from the Night World, and in that case you're our ally."

Jenny stepped up next to Michael. "What are you running from?"

"We need to know," Gunther added, appearing on the other side of Ashton. She was surrounded now. 

She looked at them fearfully. "I . . . Why do you need to know?"

Gunther looked at Jenny, and she nodded her approval.

"Two of our friends have been kidnapped by vampires," he said. "Vampires that didn't get here until after you arrived."

"We think they may have something to do with why you're here," Michael added.

"If you can tell us who these vampires are, we might be able to get our friends back," Jenny finished. 

Real fear blossomed behind Ashton's eyes. "There are others here? New ones?" She sat shakily in her chair, and the trio backed off a little. 

Michael kneeled in front of Ashton and took her hand. "Ashton, who might they be? We need to know, and if you tell us, we can help protect you."

Ashton shut her eyes and frowned. "You're right," she said softly and opened her eyes. "I am in hiding. My family . . . we were involved in Circle Daybreak, the reconnaissance end. We were given assignments to carry out, spying on the Council. My father discovered that someone in the Council - one of the Elders - is leading some kind of underground action. Something that involves stealing humans. I don't know exactly what . . . He died before he could tell us, but there's something big going down on Halloween."

Jenny's eyes widened. "A blood feast?" A blood feast was when a large group of vampires gorged themselves on humans - live humans - and gained power. The Council had outlawed them years ago, but they were still possible.

Ashton shook her head. "I don't know. Possibly. The Council discovered our involvement with Circle Daybreak and killed my parents. I got away and went into hiding. If they find out I'm here, they'll kill me." 

"We won't let that happen," Michael told her, squeezing her hand. "Will you help us get our friends back and stop whatever is going to happen on Halloween?"

Ashton smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes, I'll help."

"What is going on here?" a voice interrupted from behind them. Jenny's eyes widened and she whirled around. Damian stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed at them all, but specifically at Jenny. He wore a tight black T-shirt and black leather pants. A helmet dangled from one hand. Jenny's stomach dropped to her feet as her eyes met his. She again felt some part of herself being pulled toward him helplessly, and she tore her eyes away. "And what are you doing here?" he said to Jenny nastily. 

She swallowed and glanced at the others behind her. They were suddenly staring at Jenny in surprise. Ashton raised an eyebrow and looked curiously back and forth between Jenny and Damian. 

"You two know each other?" 

Jenny shut her eyes and prayed. 


	8. chapter 8: making a deal

A hand fell on her shoulder 

A hand fell on her shoulder. "Jenny?" Michael said softly. She opened her eyes. Damian stood staring at Michael's hand on her shoulder. An expression of some kind of feeling flashed across his face, gone almost as soon as it appeared. It had looked almost like . . . jealousy? But Damian was looking at her like she repulsed him again. 

She tore her eyes from Damian and turned to Michael. His dark eyes gazed at her questioningly.

"I . . . no, I don't know him. He must be mistaken," she said awkwardly, willing Michael to believe her. He nodded, not looking quite convinced, and stepped back. 

Ashton had crossed the room and stood in front of Damian. "Damian, what are you doing here? I thought you were going back to Las Vegas for a while." Jenny realized Ashton hadn't known Damian was here.

Damian watched Jenny for a second over Ashton's shoulder then turned to his sister, grabbing her arm. "I came back to protect you, of course. This place isn't the safest place to hide. Anybody could find us here." He looked pointedly at the Executioners as he said this. "Who are they and why are they here?"

Ashton turned around and looked at the humans. "They know what we are, Damian." 

"Oh really?" he said sarcastically. "I thought wooden weapons were all the rage for naive vermin now. Ashton, did you even notice that they are armed for a fight? You have got to be more careful or you're going to get yourself killed!"

Ashton frowned. "I know, but they came asking for my help. A few of their friends have been kidnapped . . . by the Night World."

Damian narrowed his eyes at them. "Like what father was talking about?" 

"Yes."

"How do you know you can trust them?"

Michael stepped in front of Jenny. "Um excuse me, but I'd like to know who you are. If we were here to hurt Ashton, we would have done it by now. How do we know we can trust you?"

Damian grinned and walked up to Michael, stopping mere inches from him. Although Michael was a few inches taller than him, Damian stared up at him without flinching. "You first," he said levelly.

The two stared at each other for a full minute, then Michael backed down, frowning. "Fine. I'm Michael Scherer."

"Damian Silverwind. I'm Ashton's brother."

Michael froze. "Her brother . . ."

Damian narrowed his eyes. "That's what I said."

Michael looked sideways at Jenny. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her. 

"I thought . . ." Michael started. Jenny stared at him, trying not to let him see in her eyes the sinking feeling she had in her stomach. 

"Thought what?" Damian said, scowling. "Do you have a problem with me being Ashton's brother?" 

Michael shook his head. "Nothing. It was just a thought." Then he looked at Jenny again. We'll talk later; his look seemed to say to her. Great. 

Damian stood purposely close to Michael, letting him know that he was no match for him. "Because if you have a problem, we can fix that right here." 

Jenny could practically feel the tension shooting between the two as they stared at each other menacingly. Almost imperceptibly, Michael's hand started sliding toward his back, where his lignum vitae knife was sheathed. 

"Michael," she warned softly and looked at Ashton. Ashton too seemed to perceive the potential danger and grabbed Damian's arm. 

"Damian, cut it out!" She pulled him backwards. This seemed to break the spell. Michael turned away from Damian, mumbling "Sorry" to Jenny. Damian gave Michael one more look, then turned and stalked to the door. At the door, he spun around and stared directly at Jenny. He caught her by surprise and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his bottomless icy blue ones. Her heart was pounding so hard on her rib cage, she was afraid everybody would be able to hear it. After about 15 seconds, Damian narrowed his eyes slightly at her, then turned and disappeared from the doorway. Jenny's breath escaped in a rush and she could feel the blood rushing to her face. 

"I'm sorry," Ashton was saying, brushing her dark hair from her face and touching Michael's shoulder. "He's not as bad as he seems, I promise. He likes to act tough."

Gunther spoke from behind them. Jenny had almost forgotten he was there; he'd been so quiet. Then again, Gunther never had been one to talk much. "Well, if he causes any trouble, I'll take care of him." He pounded a fist into his left hand.

Jenny snorted. "Gee, thanks, Gunther." 

Ashton let go of Michael's shoulder and sat down in the chair. "I'd like to help you guys, but I don't know what I can do. I've told you everything I know."

"We'll think of something, Ashton, as long as you're willing to do whatever we ask you to," Jenny told her. "We need to know we can depend on you 100 percent."

Ashton nodded and rubbed her forehead. "Yes, I'll do anything. It's not right, whatever it is they're doing. And they killed my parents!" Then she looked up at Jenny, her eyes wide. "Maybe Damian knows more."

Michael shook his head adamantly. "Uh uh. No way. I don't trust him. I'm not going to get him involved in this." 

Jenny started to say something, then shut her mouth. Maybe Damian did know something. But she didn't want him involved in this any more than Michael did, although for different reasons. If he had any information, though, they needed to know. And who would he be most likely to tell - verbally or not? She sighed inwardly. Well, that only meant one thing. If she was going to protect the rest of the Executioners, she'd have to go to Damian herself. Damn.

"Jenny," Michael said. "What are you thinking?" He looked at her, waiting.

"I," she began, looking around at the small group. "I was just thinking that I don't really trust him either, and I'd rather keep this among us if at all possible."

Michael smiled. "Good idea."

Ashton shrugged. "Well, I don't think you guys need to worry about Damian. I mean, he's done some bad things in his life, but he's not truly bad. He's my brother. I trust him."

"It's still better to keep this quiet, though, Ashton," Michael said to her. 

She gave a small smile. "Alright. I'll leave him out of it." She stared at the group as they stood up to leave. "What do you want me to do first?"

Gunther and Michael both looked to Jenny for the answer. She thought for a moment, then told Ashton, "For now, just keep an eye out for any kind of information. We'll get back to you soon." The other two nodded their approval, and The Executioners turned to leave.

They left Ashton sitting in her chair, shaking her head and staring at the ground. 

***********

Gunther dropped Jenny off at home a half-hour later. As she stepped out of the car, she realized the shadows were growing long and the light fading. It was already getting dark. How long had they been talking to Ashton? It was hard to believe it was only a few hours ago that Mari was kidnapped. It felt like days. Jenny groaned as she walked up the driveway. Who were they, and what were they doing with the other Executioners? She needed to find out, and fast.

Deep in thought, Jenny didn't notice the person sitting on her front porch until she was halfway up the stairs. Her instincts kicked in at the last second and she froze on the third step, ready to either attack or run if needed. 

"Jenny?" a female voice asked, and the person stepped out of the shadows of the swing. A tall, thin girl wearing a purple jacket walked to the steps. Jenny recognized her from school, but couldn't recall her name. 

"Yes?" Jenny climbed the last few steps until she stood level with the girl. Or rather, their feet were level; the girl towered above Jenny by at least six inches. 

The girl smiled slightly. "Hi. I'm Tiffany Adams. From school." They shook hands and Jenny nodded.

"Yes, I've seen you around." Jenny stared at Tiffany, wondering why she was here. 

Tiffany must have read the expression on Jenny's face, because she said, "I heard you were friends with Carl King. I thought maybe you might have . . . I don't know, heard some news about him."

Jenny paused from answering, surprised. Carl almost never hung out with the rest of The Executioners at school, only speaking with them occasionally in the hallways. Otherwise, it was only at meetings and outings that he was with them. How did Tiffany know about Jenny, then? "Well, I don't know," Jenny began awkwardly. "We're really not that close. I mean, I see him every once in a while, but not that often. Why don't you talk to his parents?"

Another small smile from Tiffany. She gazed at Jenny with her dark eyes. "I did. I thought maybe you might know something they don't." Her voice was conversational and normal, but Jenny caught a current of something else beneath it. This girl thought Jenny actually had something to do with Carl's disappearance.

Without realizing it, Jenny had stepped backwards, away from the taller girl. She bumped into the wall of the house, turning her head in surprise. When she looked forward again, Tiffany was standing right in front of her. Jenny hadn't even heard her move. A tingle of unease ran up her spine.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "I don't know anything more than anybody else."

"Are you sure about that?" Tiffany's voice still sounded pleasant, but Jenny could see the threat in her eyes. Something wasn't right here, and Jenny didn't like it one bit. 

"I'm sure," she said firmly, suddenly feeling insulted that this strange girl had the nerve to come to her home and try to bully her around. She stood up straight and faced Tiffany. "What does any of this have to do with you?"

Tiffany didn't back down. "Carl is my friend. I'm just trying to find the truth."

Jenny snorted. "Join the club!"

Tiffany's hand suddenly darted out and grabbed Jenny's left arm, squeezing it firmly. "I don't think you've told me what you know."

Jenny's jaw dropped slightly in indignation. "Are you threatening me? Who are you?"

Tiffany ignored her. "Why don't you tell me what you were doing with the Silverwinds tonight?"

Warning signs went off in Jenny's mind. Without thinking, she popped the spring on her knife and held it in front of her, pointed at Tiffany. "Who are you?" she asked in a low, dangerous voice. How had she known about Ashton? And why would she care, unless she were something other than human?

Tiffany grinned. "You really think that puny little knife would protect you against me?" As Jenny watched, Tiffany's face seemed to blur and reshape. Jenny backed up slightly, watching with wide eyes. In a matter of a minute, Tiffany was gone. In her place stood a pitch black panther, ears folded back and dark eyes watching Jenny hungrily.

Jenny's mouth dropped open. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed involuntarily. "You're a 'shifter!" She hadn't had a clue that Tiffany was a shapeshifter – no signs or anything. And the girl had gone to Jenny's school for a few years, at the very least. Tiffany was damn good at hiding it. But then, Jenny hadn't ever actually interacted with Tiffany before, and vampires were more her forté anyway. She had never seen a shapeshifter actually shift right in front of her before. And now, Jenny didn't know what to do. At that moment, her body failed her and she froze, unable to move in any direction. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she vaguely wondered about Tiffany's part in the occurrences of the past few days. 

Tiffany let out a cat-like yowl – revealing sharp, strong teeth – and stretched back, preparing to pounce. 


	9. chapter 9: daybreak

Jenny tightened her grip on her knife and held it in front of her for protection, since the rest of her body wouldn't work 

Jenny tightened her grip on her knife and held it in front of her for protection, since the rest of her body wouldn't work. Even in the fading evening light, she could see the muscles beneath Tiffany's deep velvety fur tighten and stretch taut as she leaned back on her haunches in preparation for a leap. Jenny took a deep breath and mentally yelled at her body to get moving.

Amazingly, it worked. Suddenly free from her temporary paralysis, Jenny dove forward to the ground right in front of Tiffany. Simultaneously, the panther hissed and flew over Jenny's head, claws extended. Jenny hit the ground and rolled to her right, unfortunately where the stairs were. The cat missed Jenny completely and smashed into the wall of Jenny's house, stunning her momentarily. Jenny's roll spilled her over the edge of the stairs and she bumped and bounced down them on her side, each stair striking a chord of pain in her side. She was sure her ribs would all be broken by the time she reached bottom.

She spilled off the last stair onto the sidewalk, gasping for breath, her hair plastered sideways across her face. From the top of the stairs, she heard the panther gathering her senses and her legs together again. Jenny used the momentum from her painful tumble to roll onto her knees and back on her feet in one sweeping move. By the time Tiffany attacked again – this time from four feet above Jenny's head – Jenny was standing in stance, ready for action. 

"Come and get me, fleabag," she muttered to herself as she stood. She brushed the hair out of her face and stood sideways, her knife clenched tightly in her right hand. For a second, Jenny and Tiffany just stared at each other, eyes locked. Each was used to being the predator, not the prey, and neither of them wanted to give that up. 

"I don't know who you are, or what you want with me," Jenny said softly to the cat, "but if you want to fight me, I will kill you. I don't care if we went to school together. You're still a Night Person, and that makes you my enemy." She put her own confidence in herself behind the words, filling her voice with strength. She would fight to the death, if it came to that. Of course, she would rather not, but if this 'shifter was going to refuse to be reasonable and talk, then so be it. 

Tiffany stared at her, and Jenny knew she understood every word she had said, even if she couldn't answer her back. She let out a high-pitched cat yowl, again baring impressive looking fangs, and stalked back and forth on the porch. Her long, thick tail stayed rigid behind her as she paced. She seemed to be debating if she wanted to take on Jenny and her knife. Jenny hoped she wouldn't, because confident as she was in her abilities to fight vampires, she just didn't know how she'd fare against such a lethal animal. Experience wasn't something to help her in this area. 

Suddenly, Tiffany stopped moving and stared beyond Jenny. A car door slammed, and Jenny spun around in surprise. She had been concentrating so hard on the cat, she hadn't even heard a car come up the driveway. She almost expected it to be her foster parents. She hadn't seen them since the night before – where were they? 

But when she finished turning and faced the driveway, she found an unfamiliar car in the driveway and an unfamiliar pair walking up the sidewalk. Instinctively, she tucked the knife behind her leg, still in her hand but out of sight. 

The two newcomers – a man and a woman wearing casual clothing – appeared to look right through Jenny. She stared with her mouth open to say something as they walked past her without a glance. They stopped at the foot of the steps. 

"Tiffany," the woman said, her tone slightly disapproving. Jenny was too surprised to feel alarmed. They were with the panther. What the hell was going on? "Why have you shifted? You know what your job was. Killing this girl was not in the description."

Jenny turned around and was shocked to see the tall girl standing on her porch again. No more signs of the panther.

"I'm sorry, Liv," Tiffany said, looking properly contrite. "But she wouldn't tell me what she knew! I got angry. It will never happen again."

"Damn right it won't happen again!" the man, a rather short but somehow imposing blond, said. Rage seemed to fill his entire body. "If you don't get a handle on this temper of yours, we're going to have to move you to a job requiring less diplomatic skills! What if you had killed her?! What would we have done then? Did you stop to think about that?"

Tiffany bit her lip and hung her head. The other woman, the one called Liv, placed a hand on the man's arm. "It's okay, Peter. The girl is alive. No need to get upset."

"I'm sorry. It's just been a rough day, that's all," Peter answered.

Ha! Rough day! Jenny could tell them all a thing or two about a rough day! "Excuse me," she said loudly. "But I would like to know what's going on here. Who are you people and what are you doing at my house?" The two turned to her, as if noticing her standing there for the first time. She folded her arms across her chest and stared pointedly at them. She would be damned if she was going to just stand here all day – night, actually; the sun had set sometime during the cat fight – and let some total strangers argue on her front lawn. Especially after a shapeshifter had just tried to make her into dinner! Somebody had better start explaining, and fast.

The two strangers, Liv and Peter, looked at each other. Then Liv sighed. "Alright, I suppose you have a right to know."

"I'm guessing you guys aren't here to kidnap or kill me," Jenny said. "Or you would have done it by now."

Liv laughed. "Of course not. Believe me, Jenny. We are not the enemy here."

"Then who are you?"

"Come, let's sit down and talk about this." Liv turned and walked up the steps to the porch, where a swing and a few chairs were positioned against the front wall of the house. Peter followed, still scowling. After a moment, Jenny sheathed her knife and did the same.

Liv and Tiffany sat together on the swing, and Peter sat in one of the chairs. Jenny remained standing and leaned against the rough wooden railing facing them.

"You can sit too, you know," Peter said roughly.

Jenny made a face. "That's okay. I think I'll stand for now."

Liv nodded as if she understood, then started talking. "My name is Liv, and this is Peter. You already know Tiffany." Jenny restrained herself from rolling her eyes because she already knew their names. After all, they hadn't been formally introduced, and it was the polite thing to do. Instead, she just nodded.

"You of course know of the disappearances of your two friends," Liv continued. Her voice was friendly enough, an effective contrast to the rancor of her partner.

Jenny's patience was wearing thin. "Of course I do! Do you think I've been living in a cave for the last couple of days?" She sighed, trying to gain control of herself. "Is there a point to this?"

Peter scowled and glared at the ground, obviously wishing he was elsewhere. Liv, however, just gave a tolerant smile. "Of course. I'm sorry. I'll delay no longer. We," she gestured to indicate all three of them, "are from Circle Daybreak. We're trying to find out what the Night World has been up to. These kidnappings have been taking place elsewhere, too. We come here seeking your help, any clues you may have to indicate who is behind this and why."

All Jenny could do for a full minute was stare. These people were from Circle Daybreak! Jenny had known the group existed – they were hardly the "secret" organization everyone made them out to be – but she had never met anyone actually involved in it, excluding the Silverwinds. 

Liv watched Jenny expectantly, waiting for some kind of reaction. Finally Jenny sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if I have any information to give. I don't know anything about any of this. I'm just trying to figure it out myself. I'd kind of like to get my friends back!"

"I realize that," Liv said gently. "But you may have seen something, however insignificant it may seem, that may be of some help."

"Well," Jenny said slowly. "I was there when they took my friend Mari. I did see the vampires who took her."

Peter showed the first sign of interest and sat forward. "That's excellent. Can you describe them?"

Jenny nodded and thought back to that morning. "There were three of them. They came in a white van. I killed two of them." She noticed a glimmer of respect in Tiffany's eyes as she said that. "One was tall and blond, and he was wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt. The other one was short, and he had dark hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. I think they called him Jason." She paused as Liv and Peter shared a worried glance. "What? Did I say something?"

"Just continue," Liv said. "What about the third vampire?"

Jenny nodded. "He's the one I remember the most. I think he was the leader. He took Mari." She fought down a cold wave of anger at the memory of Mari being dragged into the van. "He seemed really old, that's what struck me the most about him. That and his eyes – he had gold-colored eyes, really strange looking."

Peter was now sitting forward, visibly holding in excitement. "His hair. What color was his hair?"

"His hair was different too. It was red, but not like your normal red hair. I mean red red, like blood. Do you guys know who he is or something?"

Her face pale, Liv nodded. "I think we do. He was tall and very slim, right?" Jenny nodded. Liv swallowed. "Yes, we know. This is much worse than we thought."

"How is it worse?" Jenny asked impatiently. "Who is he?" Tiffany looked equally curious; she obviously didn't know either.

"Well," Liv began carefully. "Whatever is going on is big. Very big. And it's going to be very, very difficult to find out what exactly has been happening and put a stop to it." She looked pointedly at Jenny. "I wouldn't put too much stock in getting your friends back. If they're not already dead, they probably will be soon."

Jenny's heart seemed to beat against her rib cage with more force than usual as she waited for Liv to give the name. But even before Liv said it, some part deep inside of Jenny already knew.

"The vampire who took your friend, the one with the red hair," Liv finally said softly, "is Hunter Redfern himself."

The porch seemed to spin around Jenny. "Oh shit," she whispered. She turned around and leaned heavily on the porch railing, simply breathing suddenly becoming a challenge. What a great feeling it was to discover that in order to get the other Executioners back, she'd have to go up against the most powerful vampire in existence. Hell, if she was going to do that, she might as well take out the rest of the Council. Or maybe she should just go ahead and finish off the entire Night World! 

She covered her face with her hands and groaned. "I should have just stayed in bed this morning."


	10. chapter 10: remembering

After Liv, Peter, and Tiffany left – with a promise to check back in a few days and a warning that Jenny be careful – Jenny finally went inside the darkened house 

After Liv, Peter, and Tiffany left – with a promise to check back in a few days and a warning that Jenny be careful – Jenny finally went inside the darkened house. The sun had set and full dark had rolled in during the talk on the front porch. Jenny walked around the first floor, turning on lights and wondering once again where her foster parents were. She found her answer in the kitchen in the form of a note filled with her mom's scribbles: "Jenny, Went to visit old friends in Chicago for the day. Didn't want to wake you, you looked exhausted. Be back probably late tonight. Love, Mom and Dad"

Although they were her foster parents, they might as well have been Jenny's real parents. She'd been with them almost from the beginning, since a year after her parents were murdered when she was eight. She still remembered the night vividly. Her family – her parents and older brother Paul – had been coming back from a movie when their ancient heap of a station wagon had suddenly begun shuddering violently. Jenny's father had barely had time to pull over to the side of the road before the car died. 

Jenny remembered sitting in the back seat, next to Paul, gazing at her father with wide eyes. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew that it was not good, not good at all. Her father had shared a worried look with her mother, then moved to get out of the car. 

"Stay in the car and lock the doors," he had warned, then walked to the front of the car to pop the hood. 

As had happened many times in her life, 17-year-old Jenny and her surroundings receded when she thought of that night. Like a movie, the scene unfolded in her mind, unstoppable.

"Mom, where are we?" Eleven-year-old Paul asked, leaning forward in his seat to get a better look out the front window, ignoring the long blond hair falling in his eyes.

Jenny's mother gave a tight-lipped smile. "We're in town, Paul. Just sit back and be quiet."

Paul sat back with a sigh. Jenny stared out the window, trying not to notice the darkness of the street, the lack of life. Though she was still young, Jenny knew they were in a bad part of town. That meant trouble. "Can't daddy hurry?" she asked.

"He's going as fast as he can, honey," her mother answered without turning around in her seat. Her gaze remained locked on the dark figure of her father standing in front of the car.

Suddenly, the hood slammed down, and Jenny saw two figures in front of the car. Someone was out there talking to her father. Because of the poor lighting in this area, Jenny couldn't see more than just the shadowy outline of the visitor, but she got a bad feeling from him, nonetheless.

She could see her father shaking his head, calmly at first, then more emphatically as the man made motions with his hands. Then the two figures seemed to merge into one; the stranger had stepped up to her father and grabbed him. It looked like the stranger was kissing her father's neck! Jenny felt vaguely confused by this.

Her mother let out an ear-piercing scream, as the stranger stepped back and her father fell to the ground, out of their view. Jenny and Paul both reacted with a scream of their own. 

"Oh God, Jack!" her mother was screaming, tearing at the door handle. 

"Mom, don't go out there!" Paul, suddenly the reasonable one, cried. Too late. Their mother pushed open the door and stepped out.

Then Jenny noticed a number of figures emerging from the darkness against the buildings. Probably half a dozen of them. Frightened, Jenny crawled to the floor of the car and curled up in a ball, crying. "Paul," she sobbed. "What's going on?"

Paul shook his head, eyes wide, the whites showing. He waved his hand at her. "Stay down, Jenny."

Another scream suddenly shook the night, animal-like in its intensity. Jenny realized it was her mother. She covered her ears and shut her eyes, trying to block everything out. When she opened her eyes a few minutes later, Paul was no longer in the car.

"Paul?!" she shrieked. She scrambled onto the seat again. Outside the window, she could see two dark figures lying on the ground. A third, smaller one, was being held by two of the strangers. Her eyes caught the dull gleam of white at their mouths. Teeth, but they were too long! Tears coursing down her cheeks, Jenny crawled to the open passenger side door and pulled it shut, locking it. Then everything seemed to go black.

She awoke in the hospital to the news that her parents and her brother were all dead. The police said it was a random gang-related incident. They had probably hoped to steal the car, they said. Jenny was lucky they hadn't taken her too. 

It was no gang, Jenny knew intuitively. She didn't know what it was, but it was not a normal incident. She only found out three years later when she was approached by Daniel, the man who later told her the truth about that night and agreed to train her to get her revenge on the murderers – on the vampires.

She had been alone in her stakings for five years, until the year before, when Mari had approached her. Mari told her that she and two others were also vampire hunters, trying to form a gang of sorts. She convinced Jenny that more damage could be done in a group, and Jenny became a part of The Executioners. At first, it had only been Jenny, Raina, Mari, and Michael. Gunther had joined a few months later, and Carl became a part of the gang almost a year later. They all shared the same purpose: to try and rid the world of as much vampire scum as they could. 

Jenny had been placed in the home of John and Marie Sinclaire, an older couple unable to have children. They had treated her as their own, and as her memory of her real parents gradually faded, Jenny began to think of them as her parents.

Now they were in Chicago for the day. Jenny knew they probably would not be back before 11; Chicago was two hours' drive away, and her parents hadn't gone out in a long time. It was probably for the better. They would be safer away from here. 

Jenny shook her head, trying to shake off the memory of the murders. She was standing at the kitchen table, her hands gripping the edge tightly as she stared down at the note. 

Exhaling, she let go of the table and stepped back. She glanced at the calendar and realized with a jolt that it was already October 20th. She remembered Ashton saying she thought that something was going to happen on Halloween. Less than two weeks away! 

"Oh great," she muttered to herself. Less than two weeks to find out what was going to happen, and where. At least she knew who was behind it, but she found little comfort in that fact. 

Her mind awhirl with the events of the day, Jenny suddenly felt very tired. With a yawn, she thumped up the stairs to her room and threw herself down on her bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.

***********

Jenny wasn't asleep for very long when a faint noise woke her. She lay in bed for a few seconds trying to figure out what she'd heard. It was one of those times where she knew she'd heard something, but couldn't remember what exactly the sound was. 

The sound of footsteps downstairs made her sit upright. She suddenly realized what the sound was that she'd heard – the front door closing. 

Slowly, she slid off her bed, all her senses turned toward her door. It sounded like the person was in the kitchen now. They were making too much noise to be Night World. Good. Jenny could handle an everyday burglar if that was all it was.

She crept carefully down the stairs, her back to the wall. She had left all the lights on downstairs, thankfully. Whoever it was wouldn't be able to hide.

The noises in the kitchen suddenly stopped. Jenny narrowed her eyes and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, next to the kitchen entrance. After a few seconds of silence, she decided to go for it. She jumped around the corner into the kitchen. 

Inside the kitchen, she froze. Nobody was there. Feeling vaguely confused, she stared around the kitchen. Nothing appeared to be disturbed. 

She frowned. "Am I going crazy?" she said to herself softly. 

Or maybe, she thought, the sounds weren't coming from the kitchen. Maybe you only thought they were. 

Her eyes widened as the thought struck her full-force. If the person was in the living room, then her back was exposed to them. She paused, a shiver running up her back. 

Taking a deep breath, she whirled around – and found herself staring at the shirt of someone standing directly behind her.

Involuntarily, she screamed and struck out with a fist while stepping back. Her hand connected, followed by a grunt of pain. 

Then, "Jenny?! What are you doing?"

The tension overriding her system retreated at the sound of the familiar voice. Jenny looked up at the face. "Michael? What are you doing here?"

He stared at her, an eyebrow raised and a hand rubbing his jaw. "Getting beaten to death, apparently," he said, only semi-sarcastically.

"Oh God," Jenny said, covering her mouth with her right hand, then reaching up to touch his jaw. "I'm so sorry! I heard noises down here, and I thought…" She stopped talking and just stared at him, an apologetic grin on her face. 

He nodded. "I understand. I shouldn't have come in. But nobody was answering the door, and your car was here and the lights were on. The door wasn't locked, and I guess I thought maybe something had happened to you." He shrugged and grinned back down at her. 

"I'm sorry. I was sleeping. I didn't even realize I'd left the door unlocked." She walked into the kitchen and got out a cold pack, tossing it to Michael. He winced as he held it to his face. Jenny leaned against the counter and watched him. "So tell me, why are you here?"

He nodded. "Well, I went home after we talked to Ashton, and I was sitting there and I suddenly realized that it probably wasn't a good idea for all of us to be by ourselves right now. They could come at any time, for any of us. If we stay together, we have more of a chance."

Jenny raised her eyebrows. "You're absolutely right. Why didn't that ever occur to me?" She paused, thinking. "But where would we go?"

Michael walked up next to her. "I've already thought of that. We can stay at my place. My dad is out of town on business for the week, and we'd have the place all to ourselves." Jenny thought she sensed some bitterness in his words, but she couldn't be sure.

"That sounds great," she said. "Let me get some things, and we'll go get Gunther."

Michael nodded. "I'll be right here." He stood back against the counter and leaned his face into the ice pack, shutting his eyes. For a second, all Jenny could do was stare at him, her body tingling with the familiar fluttery feeling that she got whenever she was anywhere near him. She forced herself to look away and walked out of the kitchen.

As she climbed the stairs, still thinking about Michael, she found her thoughts haunted by the image of another dark-haired person. This one didn't have eyes like black holes, though. Almost exactly the opposite: that pale, pale blue. 

Jenny shook her head. No. Damian was not who (or what) she wanted! He was a vampire for God's sake! It was just totally not plausible. 

She was still objecting to her own thoughts when she entered her room. The thoughts were soon to be chased out.

The door slammed shut behind her, efficiently cutting off any light coming from downstairs. Before she could move, something came at her, smashing into her side and sending her crashing into the floor.

For a moment, all she could see were stars.


	11. chapter 11: out of the woods

Jenny fought for consciousness for what felt like hours as she lay on the floor 

Jenny fought for consciousness for what felt like hours as she lay on the floor. Her vision blurred, then cleared, then blurred again. Finally, the room stopped spinning, just as a hand grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet. Just as she was about to scream for Michael, another hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled for a minute, but stopped when she realized it was getting her nowhere. 

She could hear breathing in her left ear, and then a voice said, "Poor little slayer, caught in her own bedroom." A laugh, deep and foreboding. "You're going to have lots of fun with us." She felt sharp teeth brush the side of her neck.

Jenny heard movement to her right and her window opened. Silhouetted against the dark night through her window, she could see a tall, skinny figure. 

So there were two of them. She had to do something. She kicked her foot up behind her and caught her captor in the kneecap. He swore and loosened his grip on her. 

As soon as his grip let up, Jenny whipped her arm out of his hand and swung it backwards, striking him across the face with a solid-sounding thunk. At the same time, she yelled as loud as she could. "Michael!"

The vampire yelped and let go of her. The second vampire – she assumed they were both vampires – rushed at her, grabbing her arm and swinging her sideways. She flew across the room and crashed into the wall. 

She somehow managed to maintain her balance and fall into a defensive stance. She could hardly see anything in the darkness of the room, but she was willing to give it a go. It was either that or be taken away like Mari and Carl. 

She could hear the vampire she'd injured still cursing up a storm by the door – Jenny thought she'd probably broken his nose. The other vampire, however, was silent. Listening for movement from him, Jenny slowly stepped out into the room. Before she could react, the other vampire flew at her and knocked her to the ground. He was angry. And hungry.

He pinned her to the ground with his body, his hot breath on her face. 

"You forget, slayer-scum, that _we_ are the dominant species. You pitiful humans shouldn't even bother fighting. We're going to rule this world again, and soon. And you vermin will make for excellent meals." He laughed. "I believe I was supposed to bring you back in human condition, but I'm _very_ hungry. I think I'd like a snack before we go."

Jenny's eyes opened wide. This was not looking good. She couldn't let this happen! She'd _die_ before she'd let a vampire chew on her! 

But she couldn't do anything. The vampire's strength was too much for her weakened state. In the darkness of the night, she could see a pair of silver eyes, reflecting the tiniest bits of light and growing brighter as she watched. Jenny knew that his teeth were elongating, preparing for her blood. In a moment of panic, she began thrashing around, trying to free herself. It did no good, and she only succeeded in tiring herself out. The vampire snickered at her. 

Oh God, she thought. I'm so sorry, Mari. She had failed her friends. She had tried to get them back, and failed. She was no match for this vampire. He was going to drain away her life, and she could do nothing about it. 

She closed her eyes and waited. Lips brushed the side of her neck. She fought a trembling in her body that kept trying to erupt. 

Suddenly, the door flew open, and someone knocked into the vampire on top of her, throwing it into her bed. Jenny gasped and crawled backwards, unable to do anything. She felt frozen to the spot. 

In the light from the door, she could see Michael, a sword in his hand, lunging at the vampire. The vampire dodged. By the door, Jenny could see the first vampire getting ready to go after Michael too, blood running down his face. 

"No!" she shrieked, and launched herself off the floor. She caught the vampire by surprise and he went tumbling out the doorway. Jenny ran at him, a blond fury, kicking and punching. The vampire's expression told her that she'd surprised him. She kicked up, connecting under his jaw and whipping his head back. He opened his mouth and hissed at her, running his tongue over his teeth.

"You think you can beat me?" he asked, leering at her. "You? Vermin?"

"I don't think," Jenny said, punching him in the stomach. "I _know_." The vampire stepped backwards at the impact. When she punched at him again, he grabbed her fist and twisted her arm. 

Jenny screamed at the pain, then whipped around and punched him with her other fist, at the same time sweeping his feet out from under him. He fell backwards, into the air at the top of the stairs. 

Jenny knew before it happened that she was going to go with him. He still had her arm in his hand. He flailed about with his free arm, then went over the edge of the stairs. Together, they bumped and rolled down the stairs, landing in a twisted pile at the bottom. 

Her right side burning with pain, Jenny pulled herself out from under the vampire with a groan. One look at him told her he had been knocked unconscious in the fall. He lay there with his eyes closed, his head against the table at the bottom of the stairs. 

Jenny couldn't feel anything in her right side. Her whole arm was numb. She sat back against the wall, cradling her arm against her stomach. "Michael!" she yelled. 

A minute later, Michael appeared in her doorway, a triumphant smile on his face. "Got the little sucker!" He held his sword at his side.

Jenny couldn't help but smile at him. His eyes blazed with the excitement of the battle, and his dark hair fell in tousled curls over his forehead. He seemed unaware of a cut near his temple, oozing a stream of blood down his cheek.

"Good. And since you're feeling so up, why don't you come down here and get this one too before he wakes up," she said with a nod of her head at the unconscious vampire. 

Michael's eyes widened as if seeing the vampire for the first time. He took the stairs two at a time, raising the sword as he went. Without pausing at the bottom of the stairs, he ran the sword through the vampire's heart. The vampire's eyelids fluttered, and he groaned. Then he folded in on himself. 

Jenny let her head fall back against the wall and sighed. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" She took Michael's hand and he helped her up.

"You okay?" he asked, a worried expression on his face as he touched her arm.

She waved her good hand at him. "No problem. I just bruised my arm when I fell down the stairs. I'll be fine in a little while." She sighed. "What are we going to do about them?"

Michael looked down at the ex-vampire lying at his feet. "I guess we'll just have to take them with us."

Jenny grimaced. 

***********

Ten minutes later, they were in darkness, surrounded by trees. On the way to get Gunther, Michael had suddenly decided it would be better to take the vampire bodies out into the woods where they wouldn't be found. So now Jenny found herself trudging through the trees, dragging a vampire behind her. 

"You need to lose a little weight, chubby," she muttered under her breath to her load. 

Ahead of her, Michael stopped and looked back at her. "You okay, Jenny?"

She nodded. "I'm fine." She stuck out her tongue at him in the darkness, knowing he couldn't see her. It could have been worse. At least there was a fairly large moon in the sky, offering a little bit of light against the darkness. Michael had the flashlight, and without the dim moonlight Jenny probably would have been flat on her face. "Where exactly are we going, Michael? I don't think anybody's going to find them out here." She had thought they would only go a few steps into the woods, but Michael had apparently been thinking otherwise.

Michael sighed. "Alright, here is good." He stopped and dropped the vampire he'd been carrying on his shoulder to the ground. He turned to Jenny, the flashlight on her feet. "I'm sorry I made you walk so far. I guess I'm just a little paranoid that all these bodies are going to be found."

Jenny let go of her vampire and rubbed her sore arm. She couldn't see much of Michael except what the moonlight allowed her. She could see the outline of his form against the darkness of the trees, a few flashes of skin, but not much more. More importantly, she couldn't see the expression on his face. "Are you okay, Michael?" she asked him. "You're not usually worried about bodies. You know the police would never connect them to us. Besides, they're _vampires_. They're not human."

Michael said nothing. He just stood there. Jenny thought he might have been looking at her, but she wasn't sure. 

"Michael," she said softly. "What's really the problem?" Despite his elation over killing a vampire, Michael had been silent in the car on the way here. Jenny had wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but didn't want to pry. Now, however, she had to ask; he was acting too strange. 

He sighed. "Alright." He sat down on a large log next to him. Jenny sat beside him. "I wanted to talk to you, Jenny," he said, looking at her. This close, she could see his shadowed facial features. "But I wanted to do it before we get Gunther. And I didn't know how to say it without making you angry."

He paused a minute. Jenny tried not to be impatient, but she wanted to know what he wanted; he was being so damn mysterious! "What, Michael?"

"Back there, at Ashton's," he began. Jenny got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Michael continued, "What was the deal there? I mean, first you say that you met Ashton's brother and you killed him. Then he shows up, _alive_, and obviously knows who you are. And you deny knowing him. What's going on, Jenny?"

Jenny opened her mouth, not knowing what she was going to say. But Michael spoke again. "I know something is wrong. You've been acting strange since yesterday. Please tell me if you're in some kind of trouble." He fell silent, staring at her.

Jenny could feel his eyes boring into her. She ached to tell him everything, just to have somebody to talk to about it. But how could she tell him what Damian was? He'd hate her forever. Jenny couldn't live if Michael hated her. 

"I . . ." She sighed. She couldn't do it. She couldn't tell him the truth. "Alright, the truth is that I did run into Ashton's brother. And we did fight. But I didn't kill him, obviously. He won." 

"Did he . . .?" 

She shook her head. "No. He didn't touch my neck. He let me go. I don't know why. I was too embarrassed to tell everyone that, especially Raina." She hung her head. It was almost the truth. He _had_ won. And he _had_ let her go. Except he probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for that pesky little … problem. 

"He just let you go?" Michael's voice was surprised. 

She nodded and looked up at him. "I'm sorry I lied to you guys."

"It's okay. I understand. Raina definitely would have given you a hard time about it," he said. "I'm just glad it wasn't something worse." Michael suddenly took her hand and squeezed it. For a moment, Jenny stared awestruck at his strong hand enveloping hers. All of her feelings for him came rushing to the surface full-force, threatening to choke her. Oh Michael, why can't you see how much you mean to me?

"Thanks, Michael," she said in a strangled voice. _Do something!_ a little voice in her head screamed at her. _Now is the perfect time to tell him_. 

But she couldn't. She was too frightened by her own feelings to act on them. She was cursed to remain silent. 

Michael smiled in the moonlight and let go of her hand. He reached up and touched one side of her face, then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Not a romantic gesture -- more of a brotherly kiss. Jenny could have cried. 

"Okay," he said, standing up. He helped her to her feet. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."


	12. chapter 12: midnight rendezvous

Thunder rattled the windowpanes as Jenny curled up on the couch in Michael's apartment trying to sleep 

Thunder rattled the windowpanes as Jenny curled up on the couch in Michael's apartment trying to sleep. Snores drifted up from the floor, where Gunther slept on a sleeping bag. Michael was in his own bed, one room over. Lightning flashed across the back of her eyelids. Between Gunther's snoring and the storm raging outside, Jenny didn't know which was worse. Or maybe it was neither of those things keeping her awake. Thoughts raced around in her head in mass confusion. 

Where are they? she thought. Mari and Carl – where could they have taken them? She sighed. Anywhere. They could have taken them anywhere in the entire world. And she didn't know why. Frustration welled up inside her. She only had a little more than a week to try to find them, if what Ashton had said was true. She had to do _something_ to find out more information. 

She drifted toward sleep and a face floated into her mind. Pale blue eyes, icy as winter, staring straight into her soul. A shiver coursed through her veins and she gasped, sitting up. 

She rubbed her arms. She knew what she had to do.

***********

Wind and rain buffeted her little car as Jenny drove along the deserted country road. What am I doing? she thought. Am I insane? The clock read 2 a.m., affirming her belief that she was indeed out of her mind.

She sighed and pulled onto the dirt driveway. She stopped a hundred feet from the house, turning off the car. For a moment, all she could do was stare at the large, rambling house. Not a single light was lit. 

"Jenny, what were you thinking?" she asked herself. She was about to put the car in reverse when a movement to the left of the house caught her eye. A figure in black was quickly walking away from the house, into the woods. 

Her heart beating a new rhythm, Jenny got out of the car and followed. Within seconds, she was soaked through by the torrents of rain assailing her. She wished she had at least brought her flashlight. 

The only good thing about the storm was that Damian couldn't possibly hear her following him. The sound of the rain hitting the leaves covering the ground effectively covered the sound of her steps. 

Damian walked for some time, cutting through the dense foliage seemingly effortlessly. Jenny thought she would lose him a few times when the tangle of undergrowth slowed her progress. She could only see as far ahead as each flash of lightning allowed her. Finally, she did lose him. Her foot caught on a log hidden under the mess of autumn leaves and she tripped, falling over into a thicket of brambles. 

"Damn it!" she cursed, perhaps a bit too loudly. The brambles clawed at her hands as she stumbled back to her feet. She stood and stared in the direction she had been heading. Damian was nowhere to be found. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She would not lose it, not now. So she was standing out in the middle of nowhere soaked to the bone, she had lost the reason for coming out here, and she was probably lost herself. It didn't matter. Everything was A-Okay. She clenched her fists and let out her breath. 

Feeling a little calmer, she decided she would go ahead another hundred feet or so and if she still didn't see him, she'd try to find her way back. A chill began settling over her body, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she walked. When she came to a small clearing, she stopped. She had definitely lost him. Why do you have to be so damn clumsy all the time? she scolded herself. 

She sighed and turned to go back the way she had come. A flash of lightning cracked across the sky and illuminated a dark figure standing behind her. She screamed as the figure grabbed her arms. 

"Looking for me?" a low, dangerous voice hissed. Damian leaned toward her so that his face was merely a few inches from hers. His eyes seemed to glow in the light of the sky. Then Jenny realized his eyes were glowing on their own accord, an unearthly blue mixed with silver. 

Instinctively, Jenny tried to wrench herself out of his grip, but once again found herself caught in his powerful hands. 

"I don't like people following me," he growled, almost animal-like in his intensity. 

"I . . ." she breathed, fear racing up and down her spine like a physical thing. "I just wanted . . ."

"What? What do you want?" He squeezed her arms even tighter. 

"To talk to you!" she cried. She blinked against the droplets of water rolling down her forehead and into her eyes. The rain didn't seem to bother Damian at all. He stared unblinking at her. 

He stepped closer to her, so that his body was almost touching hers. "I don't like talking either."

Jenny's suicidal inner self chose that moment to come to the surface. "And I don't like my arms being crushed by blood-sucking _leeches_," she said. "So why don't you just lay off a bit, you moron."

The glow in his eyes brightened and he glared at her. "And I don't like vermin – especially stupid, mouthy, _arrogant _vermin who think they can actually follow me without being heard."

"Even if you were human, I wouldn't like you!"

"I should just kill you now and put you out of my misery."

"You'd die trying."

"Not likely. You'd have to be able to put up some semblance of a fight for that."

She stared at him. "I could kill you right now if I wanted to."

"Okay, let's see you try." He let go of her arms and stepped back. 

She just stood there, dumbfounded. 

"Well, come on," he taunted with a half smirk. "Get out your little knife and let's see what you can do. Remember, I _let_ you go last time."

Anger washed over her. "Like hell you did!" She clicked the trigger on her arm sheath – and nothing happened. "What the hell?" She pushed up the sleeve of her shirt frantically and found the sheath was empty. 

Damian snickered. "Oh no, what will you do now?"

"I don't understand . . ." And then she did understand. When she had tripped on that log she had thought she'd heard something fall to the ground but had brushed it off. Shit. She looked at Damian. "It doesn't matter. I can kill you anyway."

"Go ahead." He motioned with his arms for her to take the bait. 

Stupidly, she took the bait. With a roar, she lunged at him, striking out with a fist.

He stood motionless as she rushed him. If this was football camp, he'd be the dummy. But as Jenny's fist was about to connect with his stomach, his hands moved like lightning, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into him. The impact bounced her backwards and she fell to the ground. He laughed and she rolled to her feet, already charging him again. He sidestepped and she ran by him.

Furious, she screamed, "Come on, fight me, damn you!" He was playing with her, and she knew it. But the animal instinct inside her had taken over and she wasn't reacting rationally. 

With a blur of motion, he was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her wrists in one hand and pinning her to him with the other arm. She struggled for a minute, but stopped when sudden exhaustion racked her body. She deflated against him, whispering, "Make it quick, please."

He didn't move, and she looked up at his face. The silver had left his eyes, leaving only the icy blue ringed by violet. Jenny realized that somehow the storm had stopped and the almost-full moon had come out, illuminating his face and creating the illusion of bottomless depth in his eyes. He said nothing, but only stared at her, his face expressionless.

Suddenly confused, she asked, "What?"

Then he bent his head down and kissed her. Not a rough and angry kiss, but soft and sweet. She collapsed into the kiss, into herself. She could feel Damian's mind in hers like a caress on her cheek. 

_Damian?_

_I can't fight it, Jenny. It's too strong. I've tried, and . . . and it just doesn't work. I need you._

Suddenly, she could see herself as he saw her, small and dainty, but spirited and with an iron core. She danced through his mind like a breath of cool air, the light to his darkness. He had done terrible things – had enjoyed doing them – and hated for her to see them. But now he offered his memories to her, because he felt he had to and because he wanted her to see them.

_Damian . . . This can't possibly work. _

A dimming of the golden light she was awash in. _We'll make it work. We _have_ to. _

_But how?_

I don't know.

And suddenly her feet were back on the ground. The wind was blowing through her hair and a hand stroked her cheek. She gasped and stepped back, staring at Damian in awe. The connection dimmed as she broke physical contact. Damian looked at her, a slightly confused expression on his face. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I can't."

He nodded, looking at the ground. "It's him, isn't it?" He threw an image of Michael across their waning connection. Michael, smiling at her in the moonlight, his curly hair hanging almost in one eye. An image taken from her own memories. 

She frowned. "Yes."

He nodded again.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

He shrugged. "You're right," he said. "It could never work." He said it casually, almost coldly, but the pain in his eyes gave him away.

"Are you going to kill me now?"

He snorted. "No. I told Ashton I'd help you get your friends back, and I always keep my word. I suppose killing you wouldn't be much help."

She gave a small smile. "No. In fact, it would probably ruin my day."

"Well, if you're willing to trust me, I have something you might like to see," he said, more serious than she'd ever seen him; all traces of previous arrogance were completely gone. 

"I trust you."


	13. chapter 13: a plan

They made their way slowly back through the woods – Damian slow only so he wouldn't lose Jenny 

They made their way slowly back through the woods – Damian slow only so he wouldn't lose Jenny. She could barely see in the darkness. The moon had offered a little light in the field, but once back in the woods, the dense foliage blocked out most of it. They walked in silence, raindrops dripping from the leaves above them. Jenny's mind danced in circles as she picked her way carefully through the logs and sticks scattered across the forest floor.

She kept thinking about the connection she had just experienced with the vampire in front of her. She never would have thought things would turn out this way. She was a vampire hunter, not a vampire lover. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was an _Executioner_, for God's sake! Sure, Damian was handsome, in a cold-blooded, venomous snake kind of way. But that didn't change the fact that he was supposed to be her mortal enemy. And if he was her soulmate, and it seemed quite obvious that he was, then why did she still have this hunger for Michael? Wasn't that against the rules? She had thought she would have no choice in the matter. 

Apparently a lot of things were not as she had thought, and that meant she had no control over them – and Jenny hated losing control.

She sighed and stared at the dark form of Damian's shoulders ahead of her. What in the world was she supposed to do when the rules kept changing? 

They reached the edge of the forest and stepped out onto the grass just in time to see a pair of headlights disappearing down the driveway.

Damian immediately stopped. "What the hell?" he breathed. 

"It looked like a van or a truck," Jenny said, feeling the blood drain from her face. She grabbed Damian's arm. "Was Ashton home tonight?"

Without a word, Damian took off at a sprint toward the house. Jenny followed, trying to keep up with him. She could see a light burning in an upstairs window. Damian burst through the front door of the house and took the steps three at a time. 

"Ashton!" he yelled.

He was already upstairs by the time Jenny entered the house. She could hear him yelling for Ashton as she ran up the steps. She stopped when she reached Ashton's room, out of breath. Damian stood in the middle of the room, his fists clenched at his sides.

Jenny gasped. The room was a mess. Clothing and blankets lay strewn all over the room. Damian bent over and picked up a jewelry box lying on its side in the middle of the room. 

Looking down at it, he growled, "They're going to pay." His lips curled back as his teeth elongated. He turned to Jenny and she instinctively took a step back when her eyes met his. They were glowing with that unearthly silver light, only Jenny had never seen them this bright before – he was really angry now. He had been playing all the other times, but now playtime was over.

"We'll get her back, Damian," Jenny said. "We'll get them _all_ back."

He set the jewelry box on a shelf and pushed past her out the door. "Come on."

She followed him down the hallway to his room. It looked exactly the same as it had the last time she'd been in here, when Damian had first found her in the house. Lit by only two tall, black candles, shadows leapt back and forth across the black painted walls. Damian tore off the black leather jacket he was wearing and knelt in front of the wooden chest, fumbling in his pocket for something. He wore a white shirt, contrasting with the darkness of the room and the darkness of him.

Jenny stood in the doorway and stared for a moment. With the white shirt, he looked even more gorgeous than usual. Especially since his hair was wet from the rain. It was easy to forget what he was.

He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the padlock on the chest. Then he turned to Jenny. "You can come in, you know."

Jenny nodded, feeling her cheeks flush. She knelt beside Damian as he lifted the lid of the trunk and began rummaging through it. Jenny reached in and pulled out a silky red scarf. She held it up and looked at Damian with a half-grin on her face. He looked at it, then grabbed it, grimacing. 

"Don't ask," he muttered.

After a minute, he found what he was looking for and pulled out a blue steno pad. He stood up and crossed over to the bed, sitting on it in front of the candle so he could see. 

"Well?" He looked at Jenny. "You gonna look at it from over there?"

Jenny sighed and sat beside him. Business, she told herself. This is business.

Damian opened the notepad. "This was my father's. He wrote down his notes in it. Whatever assignment he was working on. He was investigating the Council when someone got wind of it and killed him and my mother. I'm sure whatever he found out, he has written in here. Luckily, he didn't have it on him when they got him."

The notebook was filled with a slanting, somewhat messy handwriting. Jenny saw the words "soulmate" and "Daybreak" often as Damian flipped through the pages. 

She couldn't help staring at his profile, the candlelight dancing across his face. "Were you involved with Daybreak too?" she asked softly. She had to wonder. He didn't seem like the type, especially with his violent tendencies toward humans. 

He stiffened, not looking at her. "No," he answered abruptly. "Never." But the pause before he spoke led Jenny to believe he wasn't telling the truth. She decided not to push it. 

"But you knew your family was involved?" she asked. 

He nodded. 

"You were okay with that?" 

He stopped flipping pages and turned to her. He grabbed her wrists and stared at her. The ring of violet around his eyes seemed to be alive, swimming with colors. Jenny felt captivated by them. "I didn't have much say in it," he said, rather roughly. "And I'd prefer not to talk about it." He dropped her hand and turned back to the notebook.

Jenny bit her lip and stared at her hand. Damian was hiding something, she was sure of it. Something that she hadn't sensed during their . . . connection . . . back in the woods. She was extremely curious what it could be, but there was no way she was going to interrogate him about it and make him mad. Somehow, though, knowing that Damian had a deep, dark secret made him seem more human. He wasn't just some mad, blood-sucking superbeing. Vampires could have personal secrets too, and that lent them a bit of humanity. That was easier for Jenny to deal with.

"Here," Damian said, pointing to the page. "I think this is it."

The page was dated six months earlier. At the top of the page, Damian's father had scrawled, "What are they up to?"

Jenny scanned the page. It didn't include much of anything that they didn't already know. Somebody in the Council was planning something on Halloween, and it included the theft of humans. Apparently, a number of Nightworld Daybreakers had also turned up missing. That would explain Ashton's disappearance. Then, at the bottom of the page, Jenny saw something new. 

"Wait, what's this?" she asked, pointing. 

Damian read it aloud. "I have it on the word of a reliable source that whatever is going to happen will take place at a location specially modified to Council member's liking. Don't know what this location is, but source believes it to be in or around Chicago – possibly for it's central location." He turned to Jenny. "He of course wouldn't name the source in here, in case it was ever confiscated. But, it gives an idea where to look."

Jenny nodded. "Chicago. How convenient. Only a two hour drive."

"Especially convenient because I spent some time in Chicago. I have my own sources." Damian turned to the next page in the book. It was blank. He shut the book. "Looks like we're going on a field trip. Let's go get the rest of your friends."

***********

As the pair climbed the stairs to Michael's apartment, Jenny noticed the apartment door hanging open. A sinking sensation immediately filled her stomach. 

"Oh my God," she said, and ran up the rest of the stairs. "Michael? Gunther?"

The scene was similar to entering Ashton's room. The apartment was a wreck – quite obviously there had been a heck of a struggle. Jenny sank to her knees in the midst of the mess and covered her face. "Oh no," she breathed. "I can't believe they got them too."

"They must've planned a surprise attack on everyone tonight." Damian spoke from behind her. She'd forgotten he was with her. She hadn't even heard him come in. 

Jenny nodded, still covering her face. Her heart pounded as a million thoughts raced through her mind at once. Michael. They'd gotten him. She might never see him again! How had this happened? She couldn't live if she never saw him again… 

A hand fell on her shoulder. "Just because they're gone doesn't mean we won't get them back," Damian said, sounding almost . . . concerned? 

Jenny sighed and uncovered her face. She looked up at Damian, who was somehow standing in front of her now. He stared down at her, his eyes still looking eerily alive. "I know. This just gives us even more incentive to find this location your father was talking about."

She stood up and looked around the room. A framed picture of Michael and his father lay on the shelf, the glass shattered. Her heart ached at the sight of his smile. Even with Damian standing next to her – Damian, her _soulmate_ – the sight of Michael still tore at her. She didn't understand it a bit.

Concentrate, she scolded herself. To Damian, she said, "There must have been a lot of them. Gunther and Michael are both strong, and if you hadn't noticed the other night, Gunther is downright _enormous_."

Damian nodded. "Were they the last of your group?"

Jenny walked toward the door. "Yes." Then she froze, shaking her head. "Oh God no," she muttered. She turned around and faced Damian. "No, they weren't the last. There's still Raina."


	14. chapter 14: chicago

****

"So this Raina, she's the leader?" Damian asked as they walked up the driveway to Raina's house.

Jenny grimaced. "Yes, for now. She and I don't exactly get along."

"Is she a good fighter?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Jenny couldn't help being spiteful toward the conniving bitch. 

Damian shook his head. "Not unfortunately. We're going to need all the help we can get."

Jenny led him around to the side of the house where she knew Raina's window was located. It was, after all, almost five in the morning. They weren't going to go ringing the doorbell. Jenny hid a yawn behind her hand. She hadn't been tired before; the excitement had kept her adrenaline up. But now, she could feel the exhaustion closing in on her. 

Damian, on the other hand, seemed wide awake. Did vampires need to sleep? she wondered. He had a bed in his room, but that didn't mean that he used it for sleeping.

Raina's window was on the ground floor. Jenny tapped on it and waited. Nothing. She tapped again. Maybe they had gotten Raina too. It was possible. Jenny couldn't help thinking that she'd be glad if Raina was missing. 

She was turning around to tell Damian that they should go when the window slid open.

"What the hell are you doing?" Raina hissed. Jenny swung around. Raina leaned out the window. She wore a slinky nightgown, her hair tumbling wildly over her shoulders. Even after being awaken from sleep, she shone with exotic beauty. Jenny's self-confidence dropped a notch as it always did in the presence of Raina. It didn't help that Jenny saw the appreciative glances Damian gave Raina. Raina glared at her, waiting for Jenny to answer.

It took Jenny a minute to gather her thoughts. Awkwardly, she blurted, "They've got them."

Raina sighed and rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about?" Her tone of voice let them know how much she liked Jenny.

Jenny shook her head. "The vampires. They've gotten everybody else. Michael, Gunther, Ashton."

For once, Raina looked surprised. Her eyes widened momentarily. Then she seemed to remember herself and said, "Oh great. That's just wonderful, Jenny. Thank you _so_ much for waking me up to tell me that."

Jenny felt anger welling up in her. "Don't you even care?"

Raina looked at her fingernails. "I care. Just not at 5:00 in the morning!"

Jenny clenched her teeth. "Raina, you are a cold-hearted bitch." Raina's mouth dropped slightly. Jenny continued, "But, we need your help. We have an idea where to look for them and we want you to come with us."

"Who's we?"

Damian stepped out of the shadows Jenny didn't know he'd been hiding in. "Jenny and I. Are you going to come with us or not?"

Once again, Raina's jaw dropped. "Who are you?"

"He's Ashton's brother," Jenny said. "Remember her? The _vampire_?"

Raina's eyes widened. "Jenny, why are you running around with a vampire?" She sounded genuinely surprised. 

"He and Ashton were going to help us. Until Ashton got kidnapped, anyway. They're with Daybreak."

Damian stepped up to the window, staring down Raina until she looked away. "Look," he said. "Either you come with us or you don't. If you don't, you're likely going to be next. These people aren't playing games. I guarantee you'll be gone within a day. And we don't know what they'd do to you."

Jenny felt a twinge of satisfaction to see Raina's confidence slipping away. She looked uncertainly at Jenny, then back to Damian. 

"Come with you where?" she asked. 

"Chicago," Jenny said. "Damian knows some people there who might be able to help us." Despite her dislike of Raina, Jenny found herself pleading with her. She may not like Raina, but Damian was right – they needed her help. "Come on, Raina. Remember what you said about the gang watching out for each other."

Raina looked nervously at Damian, then rolled her eyes and sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Alright, give me a minute." She started to close the window, then paused, looking at Jenny. "But if you do anything – and I mean _anything_ – to piss me off, I'm gone." She slammed the window and the curtains fell back into place. 

Jenny looked at Damian and raised her eyebrows.

Damian smirked. "Nice girl."

***********

Three hours later, they were on their way to Chicago on the South Shore train line. Jenny stared out the window of the train, not really seeing the trees and occasional towns fly by. The train car was full of men and women in business clothes, commuters on their way to work. 

Because of the number of passengers on board, there wasn't room for everyone to have a seat alone. Jenny had to make a decision – sit with Raina, her mortal enemy, or Damian, her _immortal_ enemy. She didn't trust Raina to sit with Damian. She chose Damian, only because she didn't think she could spend the two and a half hour trip breathing in the choking scent of Raina's perfume. 

Raina sat in front of Jenny and Damian, tossing her hair and flirting effortlessly with a young-looking businessman. Jenny tried to ignore her. 

Damian sat silently next to her in the last seat of the car. Although his head didn't move, Jenny could see his eyes moving back and forth, taking in the scene. Like a predator, she thought as she leaned against the window and tried to watch him without being obvious. 

__

How did I get into this situation, she thought. _I should be disgusted just to share a train car with him._ She had spent her entire life since learning about the Night World hating the vampires – all of them, without equivocation.

With Damian, somehow it was different. She felt like she should hate him, like she had hated all vampires before him, but she couldn't. She knew it had to be the whole soulmate thing, but she preferred not to think about that. It only confused her more. 

She sighed and turned back to the window. _Michael_, she thought. _I hope you're okay_. 

Her eyes suddenly felt like weights were tied to them, dragging them down. Jenny realized she hadn't slept in almost 24 hours. With all the fighting and stress she'd dealt with in that time period, she was surprised she hadn't passed out earlier. Feeling safe on a moving train that the enemy didn't know she was on, she let the sleep overtake her.

***********

Jenny woke when the train pulled into the Randolph Street station, the last stop on the South Shore's route. She was startled to discover that sometime while she had been asleep, she had moved over and leaned her head on Damian's shoulder. 

She glanced up at him, expecting him to be watching her or glaring at her or something. Instead, he was still staring straight ahead. Except he looked different somehow. Jenny couldn't quite place it. 

Jenny was the last one off the train. Raina stood outside waiting for her, looking more like her normal snobby self. 

"Come on, Jenny," she said, her hands on her hips. "We've got things to do."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Why don't you tell that to the twenty people who shoved in front of me to get off, Raina. Besides, we don't even know where we're going."

Raina turned her scowl on Damian, who was beginning to look severely out of it. "Well, bat boy, this is your show. Where're these friends who might know something?"

Damian leaned against the wall and pulled out a cigarette, causing Jenny to wrinkle her nose and disgust to wash over Raina's face. 

"That's a disgusting habit," Raina said. "Do you know what that's doing to your lungs?" 

For once, Jenny agreed with her.

Damian puffed on the cigarette, then turned to Raina, meeting her eyes until she looked away. "What's it going to do, kill me?" he asked, and turned his back on them. Raina scowled.

Then Jenny noticed his hand was shaking as it held the cigarette. "Damian, are you alright?" she asked. 

"I'm fine," he growled, suddenly irritable. 

Raina looked at Jenny, her eyes seeming to say, "Look what you got us into."

Jenny sighed. "Well, my guess is we're going to be here for a while, so we better get a hotel room or something."

"I know a place," Damian said, his voice gruffer than usual. "We might as well go there. We can't talk to my friends until tonight anyway."

He stepped onto the sidewalk and hailed a cab. 

Ten minutes later, the three were standing in front of a plain, five-story brick apartment building. A sign in front called it the "Sunrise Building." 

__

How cheery, Jenny thought. 

"So what is this place?" Jenny asked. 

Damian began climbing the front steps. "I used to live here," he said, turning back to them. "Stay here a minute. I'll arrange things." He disappeared into the building.

While he was gone, Raina turned to Jenny. "I swear, if he goes nuts and tries to eat us, I'm blaming it on you," she said. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Jenny sighed. "Raina, our friends are missing, and Hunter Redfern is behind it. Can't we please at least _pretend_ to get along for now?"

Raina frowned and stared down the street, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Then she looked at Jenny. "You're right. I may not like you, but we have to get the rest of the gang back. Let's put this behind us for now." She stuck out her hand.

Jenny blinked. She hadn't expected Raina to agree to that. "Agreed," Jenny said, taking Raina's hand. 

Unexpectedly, Raina tightened her grip, and yanked on Jenny's arm, at the same time sweeping Jenny's feet out from under her. Caught off guard, Jenny hit the cement sidewalk on her tailbone. 

"Shit! Raina!" she exclaimed automatically as pain pulsed up her spine. "What the hell did you do that for?" Slowly, she dragged herself to her feet again.

Raina smiled snidely. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jenny. My foot must've slipped." 

Clenching her fists, Jenny advanced on Raina. "Raina, I swear ..." 

"What's going on?"

Both girls stopped and turned. Damian stood at the top of the stairs, frowning. He looked particularly pale in the bright sunlight, contrasting with his black hair and clothing. The pale blue of his eyes seemed lit up in the sunlight. 

"If you two don't cooperate," he said, "I'm just going to have to do this by myself." He glared at them until they both looked away nervously. Then he turned back to the building. "Come on. Let's get off the street."

They followed him upstairs to the third floor, where he unlocked a door. They entered a small living room, with one window facing an alley. A black leather couch sat on one wall facing a big-screen television. A red velvet chair sat in the corner. 

__

This looks like a spider's trap, Jenny found herself thinking for some reason. A shiver escaped up her spine. Something about this place gave her the creeps, but she didn't know what. 

Damian led them down a hallway. "This is the kitchen, the bathroom, and my bedroom," he said, motioning with his hands as they walked by each room. He turned around in front of the bedroom at the end of the hallway. "Nobody goes in my room. Understand?"

Jenny nodded without thinking. She'd agree to anything Damian said at the moment. She still felt creeped out. 

They walked back to the living room, where Damian collapsed on the couch. Jenny sat delicately on the chair, looking at him. 

"Isn't there anything to eat in this place?" Raina complained from the kitchen. Jenny could hear cupboard doors slamming.

Damian sighed. "What do you think?" he said. "Why don't you go out and get some food, so I don't have to listen to you whine all day."

Raina appeared in the doorway, a sullen pout on her lips. "That sounds like a great idea," she said, her voice oozing with anger. "I think I'll go shopping too, since we're stuck in this godforsaken place until tonight."

"Good," Damian said. "Maybe then I can get some sleep."

Raina grabbed her purse and stalked out the door, glaring at the back of Damian's head as she went. The door slammed behind her. 

"What a bitch," Damian grumbled. 

Jenny stared at him. He really wasn't acting like himself today. Even when he had caught her in his house, he hadn't been this mean-spirited. Something was up.

"Damian, I know something's wrong," she said quietly. 

He sat up and stared at her. She shrank back into the chair; she didn't know what he was going to do.

"You're not acting like yourself," she continued, somewhat hesitantly.

"How do you know what acting like myself is," he said, a tone of danger suddenly slipping in under his words. Jenny's heart quickened and she instinctively reached for the knife on her wrist. It wasn't the same knife she usually used – she had lost

that when she followed Damian through the woods the night before – but it was sharp and it would do the job if she needed it to.

__

I wonder what would happen if I killed my soulmate, she found herself thinking_. That's most definitely got to be against the rules. Would I go crazy?_

Suddenly, Damian stood and started toward her. "Just because we had a few minutes of ... something, doesn't mean that you're suddenly an expert on me." His canine teeth began pushing at his lips, and the blue of his eyes lit up with an unearthly silvery glow. "You're know what you are? You're a vermin tease," he continued, advancing on her with eyes narrowed. "You pretend to care about me, but all you really want is that human Michael. You'd sooner stake me than kiss me."

Jenny set her jaw, suddenly angry. She didn't know what was wrong with Damian, but she didn't have to sit and take this. Lightning fast, she leapt out of the chair, drawing her knife at the same time. Surprisingly, Damian was no match for her. She had her knife to his chest before he could even attempt to ward her off.

She stood in front of him, one hand holding the knife over his heart and the other poised flat on the end of the handle, ready to drive it in. She couldn't do it, though. Instead, she stood and stared at him, still seething with rage on the inside. A look of desperation came over Damian's face, and Jenny suddenly noticed that he looked paler than usual. His eyes, still glowing but dimming by the minute, seemed sunk in and hollow. He was taking deep breaths, something a normal vampire didn't need to do. 

It clicked in her mind then, and she lowered the knife. 

"Oh my God," she breathed. "You need to feed, don't you?"

He turned his head, suddenly looking ashamed.

"That's it, isn't it?!" Jenny exclaimed. "I know for a fact that you haven't fed since at least last night, and I'm guessing even before then."

He looked at her, and Jenny could see the hunger deep in his eyes. She didn't know how she had missed it before. She should have recognized it – she had seen it in the eyes of just about every vampire she had killed. 

"I was going to feed last night, when you followed me in the woods," he said in a strained voice. "It was almost a day then. I didn't want … you to see it." 

Suddenly, he reached up and grabbed her arm, gripping it tightly and pulling her close. "I think you better leave now, before it's too late," he breathed in her ear. "It won't be much longer before the bloodlust takes over. I don't know what I might do to you."

She could sense how helpless and desperate he was beginning to feel, and how tasty she looked to him. His hunger emanated from him in waves, barely under his control. She guessed she could feel it now because of his hand around her arm. Jenny met his eyes and immediately felt herself being drawn in. And then she knew what she had to do. 

"No," she said firmly. 

Damian blinked.

"No?"

Jenny nodded. "No, I'm not leaving." She pushed her hair back, exposing her neck like she did when hunting. Only this time she wasn't planning on leaving with a kill. 

She could feel Damian's body responding to the invitation and him fighting it. 

"What are you doing?" He sounded out of breath and anxious. "Jenny, don't do this. You don't want this."

She put her knife away and took his hand, bringing it over to touch her neck. "I want to do this," she said. "You need it, and …" She paused, making sure he was looking at her. "I trust you."

Funny enough, she really did. And stranger yet, she felt this was something that she needed to do. Like she needed to understand the vampires first hand. She didn't know what it was, but she knew she had to do it. 

Behind the hunger and strain in his eyes, something flickered and he leaned toward her. Subconsciously, her body stiffened.

A voice in her cried out. _Jenny, what the hell are you doing? Are you insane?_

Damian stopped. "Are you _absolutely_ sure?"

She stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

He nodded, and she could sense the raw animal inside him breaking loose. He grabbed her roughly and sank his teeth into her neck. 


	15. chapter 15: a dress

****

Panic welled up in Jenny's chest as she felt Damian's teeth break the skin. 

_This is going to hurt_, the panic whispered in her head. Suddenly unable to breathe, she grabbed Damian's shoulders to push him away. 

_Jenny. _His voice, inside her mind. She froze, the panic still clawing inside her, trying to break through. _Don't fight it, Jenny_. Damian's voice was low and calm, brushing a stillness through her mind with soft fingers. _It only hurts when you fight it._

She relaxed. Damian wouldn't hurt her on purpose, not right now. She could feel that. The panic pulled back inside her, like the tide of the ocean.

All that was left was a warmth, radiating out from Damian's lips on her neck. A closeness, like she and Damian were one person. Even when he had kissed her, it hadn't been like this. She was floating in a splash of rainbow colors, reds and greens and purples. Damian was a pale blue glimmer in her head, pulsating with the life she was giving him. 

_I had no idea_, she thought to Damian. _I didn't know it was like this._

She sensed Damian smiling. _ It's usually not like this. _

Jenny felt as if she were spinning, her arms out to the side, like she used to when she was little. The colors whipped around her. She couldn't help but smile. It was amazing. She felt like she could stay like this forever. 

_Have you felt it like this before?_ Jenny asked.

A pause. The blue of Damian's mind darkened. Jenny suddenly sensed another feeling, blackening the brightness of the colors. _Yes_.

Jenny reached out with her mind. She felt Damian pull back. _Damian?_ She felt suddenly desperate for him. _What's wrong?_

A rush of cold air blew through the warmth she felt. She reached for Damian again, this time catching something before he backed away. An image. A girl, with chestnut hair and liquid brown eyes. She sat on a bench, smiling. 

She heard a cry of pain, and the image shattered. 

_Damian!_ she cried, and suddenly she was back in her body again. She blinked, confused. They stood in the living room, Damian still with his arms around her. He had withdrawn from her neck. He looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. Jenny was glad to see he had lost the pasty pale on his skin. 

"Damian? What happened?" she asked. 

He suddenly turned to her, looking her in the eye. Jenny was struck by pain swimming in the depths of the icy blueness of his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice sounding strained. "I need to go now."

He turned and walked to the door.

"What?" Jenny exclaimed. "Go where? Damian, talk to me!"

The door slammed, and she was alone. 

***********

When Damian returned a few hours later, the pain in his eyes was gone. In fact, he was almost cheerful. He tossed Jenny a bag.

"Put it on," he said, heading down the hallway without stopping. "We're going." 

"What?" Jenny looked in the bag and saw a bundle of sheer black fabric. She sat down on the couch, still feeling a little lightheaded from earlier. She had spent the few hours since Damian left sitting on the couch, trying catch the breath inside her mind. Impulsively, she touched her neck again, feeling two small bumps that were already beginning to fade. _I feel so strange_, she thought. She had never felt quite like she did after Damian left. It was almost like she was a completely different person; she felt outside her skin. The feeling had faded as the afternoon drew toward dusk, though.

She found herself thinking about the girl she had seen when she had been … donating. Who was she? And why did it bother her so much? So Damian had a dark little secret, just like everybody else. She had suspected that since the beginning. 

She shook her head. It didn't matter. If he wanted to tell her, fine. If he didn't, that was fine too.

Suddenly remembering the bag in her lap, she reached in and pulled out the fabric. Her jaw dropped and she stared, horrified at what she held in her hand. 

Damian came walking out of the hallway, having changed into a pair of black biker's boots, tight black jeans, and a black leather vest with nothing underneath it except his well-muscled and extremely defined chest and abdomen. Despite the almost pink glow still in his cheeks from the blood he'd taken from her, his skin looked extremely pale against all the black he wore and the darkness of his hair. Except it wasn't the sickly paleness of earlier; his skin looked alive and almost milky. His eyes were the only spot of color on him. He smirked at her.

"What the hell is this?" Jenny asked.

He smiled. "It's a dress. For you to wear when we go visit my friends tonight."

Jenny stood up, clenching the dress into a ball of thin fabric in her hand. She waved it at him angrily as she talked. "Oh, no, no, no. I do _not_ wear dresses. Ever. Especially not this … this … whatever it is!"

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Well, aren't we touchy? Jenny …" 

She interrupted him. "I _refuse_ to wear anything like this. And what makes you think I would anyway? And _why_ would you want me to? Why can't I wear my normal clothes? I can't fight in a … piece of body nylon like this!"

In a blur of motion, Damian stood in front of her and gently covered her mouth with his hand. "Shh, Jenny," he said softly. "Be quiet and listen to me."

He took his hand away and she stood staring at him indignantly. 

"You have to wear it," he said, holding up his hand for silence when she opened her mouth to object. "Let me explain why. Where we're going, they're not your friends. In fact, they would love to chop you up and have you for dinner if they knew what you were. By wearing this dress, you blend in more, because that's what they'll be wearing."

"That doesn't mean that I …" She couldn't help it. She had to try again.

"Jenny!" he interrupted her again, this time with a hint of annoyance in his eyes. He held her gaze with his eyes. "You can't pretend to be one of them. They'll know it just by looking at you. So you have to pretend to be an ignorant human, my toy. That, they'll believe, because they all have their own. And that means you have to listen to me and do what I tell you. Do you understand?"

Jenny nodded, pursing her lips. She got it. That didn't mean she had to like it though. 

"If they get even a hint that you're one of the Executioners," he continued, "I swear to God, they'll make you wish you were dead."

"Alright, I get the picture!" she exclaimed. "Jeez…" She impulsively smacked him with the dress as she walked by him to the room. She would not let him get away with this guilt-free; he would be hearing about it all night.

Sighing, she pulled on the dress, if you could call it that.

"I can't believe this," she grumbled to herself. "I can't believe I'm actually going to wear this."

She glanced in the mirror and felt herself growing red just at the thought of going out in public wearing it. It wasn't a dress; it was a couple pieces of fabric connected with sheer black nylon. The top was a bit like a tube top, with her stomach bare except for the sheer black fabric. The skirt part, connected to the sheer fabric, was also like a tube top, only a little bigger. It barely went halfway down her hips. She had never in her life even _considered_ wearing something like this.

"Oh my God," she said, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked like someone who worked on street corners. Then another thought struck her. "Where am I going to keep my knife?" she gasped. She didn't care what Damian said – she was not going into a Night World lair without some kind of weapon. But there was nowhere to hide one under that skimpy dress.

"Great."

Someone pounded on the door, making her jump. "Hey, are you okay in there?" Damian, that sneaky little rat, she thought angrily at the door.

"No, I'm not!" she yelled through the door. "This isn't a dress! I might as well just go naked!"

A pause. "Well, if you'd rather …"

Despite herself, she felt herself blushing. "Go away and leave me alone!" she shouted at him.

He didn't say anything, but she heard him whistling down the hallway.

She looked in the bag again and realized there was more. A pair of fishnet stockings. Leather boots that would reach almost to her knees – and had three-inch heels on them.

"Great," she muttered again. "I'll probably break my ankle just trying to walk in those things." Then she realized she'd found the answer to her problems. The boots – she could hide at least one knife in them. 

Feeling a little better about the situation, she pulled on the fishnets.

_I wonder what Michael would think of this outfit_, she thought, then immediately blushed at herself. _He'd think you're as bad as Raina, that's what he'd think._

Michael. What would she do if those vampires killed him? How could she live? She couldn't. It was that simple. Thinking of Michael, she felt the usual deep longing pain in her chest. The kind of pain that only comes with the thought of someone a person would die for, but would probably never get. She sat on the toilet seat in her skimpy dress and fishnet stockings and thought of Michael, the only person she'd ever truly loved since her parents died. 

She suddenly remembered the first time she saw him. She had been sitting on a bench outside of school, waiting for the bus. She'd been 12, just beginning her training as a vampire hunter. She had sat on the bench while throngs of kids pushed by her, yelling and screaming. 

A group of boys had walked past her, older boys in the grade ahead of her. When they saw her, they had stopped to tease her. Jenny the outcast, Jenny the freak. They didn't like her because she always sat by herself and had the tendency to glare at people. That was just how she had been at that age.

Jenny knew this, but didn't care. Ever since Daniel had taken her under his wing and began teaching her how to defend herself and how to pay back the monsters that slaughtered her family, that was all she could think about. She didn't care about the other kids, only about revenge. 

Pretty serious stuff for a 12-year-old. Although she hadn't known it at the time, her training and knowledge of the Night World had made Jenny grow up fast. Maybe it was the sense of this pre-adulthood sophistication that made the other kids turn on her. 

Either way, Jenny just wanted to be left alone. And when those boys came along and began teasing her and calling her names, Jenny felt the longing to get up and beat them both down. But she knew she wasn't ready for that. 

Instead, she sat on the bench, staring sullenly at the boys, not saying a word.

That was when Michael came into her life. He had been at her school for a few years, but she hadn't really paid attention to him before. Michael, with his dark curly hair and little boy's smile, had come to her rescue. With three words, he had won her heart.

"Leave her alone!" he yelled at the boys. And since the boys, although older, were smaller than Michael, and really just bullies on the outside – bullies on the outside usually equaled cowards on the inside – they turned and walked away, leaving a trail of threats and name-calling behind them.

"Are you okay?" Michael had asked her, looking at her with concern. Even at that age, Michael was the type of person who felt concern for everything. 

Jenny had met his eyes then, held them for a second, and from that moment she had known that if there was one person anywhere in the world for her, he was standing right in front of her. 

"Thank you," she had whispered, nodding. 

He had grinned, that cute boyish grin that he still showed traces of today. "No problem," he said, and like that he was gone, strolling off down the sidewalk like he didn't have a care in the world. 

That was the first time Jenny felt The Ache, the same feeling she got whenever she thought about Michael.

She didn't talk to him again until The Executioners formed. They had become close since then, as all of the gang had – even Raina, although a bit spitefully. But Michael was like a song on the breeze, beautiful and perfect … and impossible to touch. 

Feeling suddenly melancholy, Jenny heaved a deep sigh. 

_Look at you_, the little voice in her head nagged. _You're sitting on a toilet seat in the apartment of a vampire, wearing clothes that would embarrass any nice girl. Some vampire hunter. Michael would be better off with someone like Raina. _

She pushed the thought away, suddenly angry with herself for letting men – vampire or human – distract her from her entire purpose in living. She would avenge the death of her family, and she would get her friends back. No one could keep her from that – especially not some bloodsucking egomaniac with eyes of pure ice.

She fiercely zipped up the boots, with her knife hidden snugly inside of one, and marched herself out of the bathroom to face Damian. 


	16. chapter 16: the club

****

Jenny got a confidence boost when she entered the living room wearing the dress and Damian, sitting on the couch and lighting a cigarette, almost dropped the cigarette when he saw her.

She stood in the doorway and looked at him, half of her still angry and half of her feeling exhilarated.

The dress did something weird to her. Although she had protested it and had been sure she would hate it, once she was in the dress she felt rather sexy. She kind of felt like one of those kick-ass warrior-type women in the movies who could take out a dozen vampires wearing the barest of clothing. She'd never felt the urge to be like them, but since she had to wear the dress anyway, it was a pretty cool feeling.

Not that she'd want to wear something like this all the time. In fact, she was pretty sure she would never wear it again. But for once, she almost – _almost_ – felt like she could stand against Raina in the looks department.

Damian nodded, looking stunned. "Yeah, that will work."

Jenny grinned. His expression made up for her losing her balance and falling on her ass in the hallway.

***********

An hour later, Jenny found herself suddenly very, very nervous. She sat at a dark corner table at some night club – and by night club, she meant _Night_ Club, the kind with a black iris painted on the door. The place crawled with Night people. She'd never seen so many of them gathered in one spot before. The only thing that came close was that club The Executioners had "stormed," as Gunther liked to describe it. But that was nothing compared to this. 

She had felt hungry stares on her as she and Raina had entered with Damian, after Damian had given the password at the door. If it wasn't for Damian, she and Raina probably would have been dessert.

Sitting at the table, she had to keep reminding herself not to tense up and shrink into the corner. She had to look relaxed, like she didn't sense anything out of the ordinary. Damian kept giving her sideways glances which said the same thing. But it was damn hard. She wasn't used to just sitting in the middle of a bunch of Night World people who weren't trying to kill her. 

She sighed and gave Damian a look of impatience. "So when is this friend of yours going to show up?" 

He merely glanced at her and looked away again. His eyes were moving back and forth, taking in everything and everyone in the place. Jenny would normally be doing that too, but she wasn't feeling like herself, dressed in this outfit and pretending to be a vampire groupie. In fact, she was trying to avoid eye contact with anybody outside of their table. "Soon," Damian said, without looking at her. He wouldn't say any more. 

She sighed again and leaned back against the wall behind her, glancing at Raina, who was sitting on the other side of Damian. Despite her uneasiness, Jenny felt a little wave of satisfaction wash through her at Raina's expression. Raina sat stiffly in the chair, looking around and chewing on her lip. Even though Raina obviously felt out of her element, she still looked great, Jenny noted bitterly. Damian hadn't had to give Raina any clothes to wear; she'd already had some that worked. She wore tight black pants and one of those shirts – Jenny didn't even know if they had a name – that looked like a handkerchief with straps.

_She got to wear pants,_ Jenny noted with an inner scowl. 

Raina must have sensed Jenny's gaze, because she turned and looked at her. Jenny could see the fear in her eyes and suddenly all her jealous thoughts about Raina washed away. Raina was still human, and just as scared as Jenny. Even if she was intolerable most of the time, she deserved a break, at least tonight.

When is Damian's friend going to get here?? Jenny found herself thinking again. She sidetracked herself with scanning the room instead of worrying about her eminent death if she was discovered. 

She saw a tall blond girl heading in their direction, her eyes narrowed on Damian. Jenny glanced at Damian as he muttered something she didn't catch under his breath. 

The girl gripped the edge of the table and leaned across it, giving Damian a free show with her low-cut shirt. 

"Where have you been?" she said. No, she didn't say it; she _purred _it, Jenny thought. In fact, everything about the girl seemed very feline. She had pale blond hair with streaks of black in it and her green eyes were oddly oval shaped. Her movements were limber and graceful. Jenny would've bet she was some kind of cat shapeshifter. 

She glanced at Jenny once and looked away with a sniff of disdain. She brushed one hand across Damian's cheek. "I've missed you, Damian," she said. 

Damian swatted her hand away. "Can't say the feeling's mutual, Ariana," he said and purposely looked away from her, as if ignoring her.

She stood up, her expression suddenly angry. "Don't pretend I wasn't the best you ever had, Silverwind!" 

Damian yawned and placed his arms around Jenny and Raina. Ariana didn't like that much either. Her eyes narrowed even more, like a predator looking at prey, as she glared at the two humans. 

"Who says I was _pretending_?" Damian said, glaring right back at her. 

Ariana gasped. "I knew I should have listened to everyone who told me not to get involved with you. You're just a pile of … dead flesh!" she exclaimed. 

"Oh, go scratch up a post," Damian muttered. 

Suddenly the girl's face twisted into a sly smile. "By the way, Troy wants to see you." She turned around with a flip of her hair and stalked off. 

Damian sighed. "Great. Just what I need."

He stood, motioning for Jenny and Raina to do the same. He took each of them by the arm and began leading them across the club. Jenny noticed Raina give Damian a look of disgust for touching her. At least she had the sense to disguise the look as soon as it appeared.

"Who's Troy?" Jenny asked as they waded through the crowds of Night people, packed together tightly and talking in groups. It looked like any other club full of teenagers. If Jenny hadn't known about the Night World already, she would never have a clue that most of these people weren't human. They were all just really good-looking.

"The jerk who owns this place," Damian said with a scowl. "We had a little altercation the last time I was in here."

They began climbing a set of stairs along the wall, leading up to a black wooden door. 

Halfway up, Damian paused and looked at Jenny, then Raina.

"Whatever you do, don't give this guy any hints that you know what he is," he said softly. "He's very close with Hunter Redfern, and if he senses anything out of the ordinary, he might figure out who you are. So no funny business." He looked intently at Jenny. "I mean it, Jenny."

She looked back at him, widening her blue eyes innocently. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

Raina muttered something on the other side of Damian. Jenny was glad she didn't hear, because knocking Raina down the stairs might be considered "funny business."

Damian just nodded and began climbing again. With his hand on Jenny's arm, Jenny could sense – vaguely – feeling broiling inside him. She could tell he held a lot of old anger inside of him, focused toward this Troy person.

And fear. Jenny could sense a sharp, bitter fear behind the anger. But fear of what? She couldn't tell if it was fear of Troy, fear of what could happen to Jenny if she was discovered, or fear of what Damian might do once they got inside that black door. 

She suddenly did not want to go behind that door. Whoever was in there was not somebody Jenny wanted to meet. She had a bad feeling about him. But maybe that was just something she was getting from Damian. She swallowed and forced the feeling down.

Damian knocked on the door at the top of the stairs. A wooden slat in the door slid back and a pair of dark eyes looked out.

"Yes?" a voice asked.

Damian stepped up to the window, leveling his gaze at the person inside. "Yeah, I vant to suck your blood." 

Jenny raised an eyebrow at Damian at that.

A pause, then the doorkeeper suddenly laughed. "Damian? Holy shit, is that you?"

Damian suddenly grinned. It brightened his face considerably. Jenny didn't think she'd ever seen him smiling so genuinely before.

"Yeah, it's me, Toby," he said. 

The door opened and a small boy – he looked like a small boy anyway, short and thin, with ear-length brown hair lying untamed around his head – grabbed Damian's arm and yanked him inside the room, which was decked out in red velvet furniture, like some exotic waiting room in Hell.

"I knew you'd be back some day!" the boy exclaimed. "Man, am I glad to see you!" He had taken Damian's hand and was pumping it up and down wildly.

"Good to see you too," Damian said. "I'm glad to see that you haven't gotten yourself killed yet."

The boy slapped Damian's arm. "Aw, come on. You know me. I'm tough!" He suddenly noticed jenny and Raina standing in the doorway. He winked at Damian. "Well, well, what do we have here? I see you haven't lost your touch, Damian. Who are they?"

Damian motioned them inside, slipping an arm around their waists. "These are my girls, Toby."

Jenny almost laughed out loud. She could just see Raina trying not to react to Damian touching her. She smiled at Toby. Might as well make it look real, she thought.

Toby nodded. "Well, they're going to have to stay here if you're going to see Troy," he said, giving Damian a look which Jenny plainly read as meaning "because they're human." Apparently, Toby wasn't very good at subtlety. 

"Of course," Damian said. 

His arm slipped away from her waist, and Jenny suddenly felt alone, like she had lost her connection with the world. Once again, the feeling of dread rose up inside her, and she impulsively grabbed his hand as he stepped forward. He turned and looked at her. Jenny stared into his eyes, willing him to here her thoughts – _Please, be careful. We need you_. I _need you. _An image of Michael rose in her mind and Jenny, without realizing it, pushed it back down before she could think the rest – _I need you … to get Michael back._

The violet ring around the pale blue of his eyes seemed to pulse, swirling with unnatural energy. He nodded. "I'll be back." He withdrew his hand and turned to follow Toby to another black door on the other side of the room. 

Jenny ignored the startled looks Raina was giving her and moved closer to the door. She wanted to see what was on the other side. 

As Toby reached for the door handle, Damian turned and gave her one last long look. In it, she could feel the deep and despairing longing he felt for her. The light reflecting off his eyes reminded her of the night before in the moonlight, when she had almost let herself go. At that moment, he didn't seem inhuman, or fiendish, or evil. He was just Damian, and he loved her unexplainably and unconditionally. Jenny knew then that being soulmates meant never falling _out_ of love, even if that love was unfulfilled. And she suddenly knew that Damian would go on loving her for as long as she lived, and maybe even after. But could she ever return the love that Damian so wanted to give her? 

Sometimes love was just too painful to give. 

He turned from her, and the train of her thoughts was broken, shattered into nothingness. The image of Michael popped up again in the back of her mind and this time she let it stay. 

The door opened, revealing nothing but blackness, a pit of evil darkness waiting to swallow up anyone who entered. The two stepped into the darkness and disappeared. 

Jenny took a step forward. She felt suddenly certain that she would never see Damian again.

The door slammed shut. 


	17. chapter 17: taking a walk

Jenny's feeling that she wouldn't see Damian again was wrong. After only ten minutes – in which Jenny fidgeted nervously – he came out the door. He was seething.

She and Raina were sitting on one of the couches. Every once in a while, Raina would give Jenny a quizzical look. Jenny knew Raina wanted to ask about her grabbing Damian's hand. She didn't think she would actually ask though. To Raina, it was too ludicrous to be possible, Jenny knew. 

Jenny really hoped she wouldn't ask – because she didn't know what she would tell her.

Raina was taking all this quite well, Jenny mused while they sat in silence. Considering how much Raina hated the Night World, she was awfully pliable in working with Damian.

Maybe Raina isn't as cold-hearted and manipulative as I thought, Jenny wondered to herself. Then she remembered Raina knocking her to the sidewalk earlier and took it back.

That was when the door flew open and Damian stormed out. Jenny shrank back at the look on his face, even as relief that he was alive washed through her veins. Damian looked ready to kill someone.

"Come on, let's go," he snarled, halfway down the stairs before Raina and Jenny even stood up.

"But what about your friend?" Jenny asked as she tried to catch up with him.

"Forget it!"

Back in the apartment, Damian paced, chain smoking like a madman. His shoulders were hunched, his muscles tense with anger. 

Jenny sat in the chair, beginning to feel like a spectator at a tennis match as she watched him pace back and forth.

"Okay Damian, spill it," she said at last.

He stopped and looked at her. "I hate him," he said with a scowl, and resumed pacing.

Jenny sighed and looked at Raina, who was quite frankly looking a little worried about Damian's behavior. No help there.

"I think we've got that idea," Jenny said. "Want to tell us what happened?"

Damian gritted his teeth and slammed a fist against the wall. Jenny jumped.

"The bastard!" he yelled, then lowered his voice. "He's involved in this whole thing. He knows where they're keeping Ashton. He _taunted_ me with it!" Damian waved his arms around wildly. "He said he knew about …" He paused, glancing at Raina, who sat listening with wide eyes. "He knew about something personal," he finished, and Jenny knew exactly what he meant. "And he said he would tell everyone about it if we interfered." 

He began pacing again. "He already knew who you two were. He said he kill you both unless with left town tonight." He stopped and sagged against the wall. "And he's got enough people to do it. I don't care how good you guys are."

"But _how_ did he know?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know."

Raina stood up. "Well, that's enough for me. I'm going home."

"Raina!" Jenny walked over to Raina and pushed her back down on the couch. Raina stared up at her with astonishment. "How could you say that? We can't just _abandon_ everybody!"

Raina shrugged. "It's called survival. What good are they to us if we're dead?" She glanced up at Jenny but didn't get up again.

A hand fell on Jenny's shoulder. "Maybe she's right, Jenny," Damian said. "Maybe you two should go back and let me handle it. You could get killed."

"So could you," Jenny said, staring at him defiantly.

Raina stood again. "Hey, wait a minute! Are you saying that just because we're human, we can't handle this and you can? You think you're better than us?" She suddenly pushed Jenny aside and had a knife to Damian's chest before either of them knew what she was doing. "I'm tired of taking orders from you. You're just like all the rest. We don't need you!" She raised the knife, about the plunge it in while Damian stood there gaping.

"No!!" Jenny shrieked. She suddenly felt like she falling into empty space. If Damian died … What would happen to her? The fear in Jenny's voice made Raina pause long enough for Damian to kick the knife out of her hand. It slid across the floor into the kitchen, unnoticed. 

Raina stared at Jenny, awestruck. "Why do you care so much if he lives or dies?" She seemed to have forgotten all about Damian, turning her back on him.

"I …" Jenny's mind blanked. She had screamed out of pure panic, not thinking about what the cost might be. Raina glared at her, her green eyes mixed with both anger and curiosity. Jenny looked at Damian. He shrugged helplessly.

"You what?" Raina stood with her hands on her hips, a scowl twisting her perfectly lipsticked mouth. Her hair fell across her shoulders in fiery waves. "Don't tell me you've turned completely. It was bad enough just working with this scum."

"Hey," Damian protested from behind her. Raina realized he was behind her and turned so she could keep an eye on him.

Jenny shook her head. "I can't tell you, Raina," she said. She just couldn't bring herself to tell Raina the truth. Telling Raina would mean a quick death for Jenny's leadership dreams in the Executioners.

But did that even matter anymore? Could she continue doing what she did after meeting Damian? So what if she couldn't be with him. After this, would she ever be able to continue hunting with the knowledge that they weren't all bad? And it wasn't just Damian. It was Ashton too. She genuinely liked Ashton, she could admit that now. Jenny hadn't known she could be capable of liking a vampire. With that knowledge, the idea of vampire hunting seemed to have taken on a completely different feel. 

It didn't matter whether she continued hunting or not, Jenny decided. Human and Night World soulmates were forbidden in the Night World. Even Jenny knew that. It was punishable by death. Information like that couldn't be spread around. It was too dangerous. And Raina was exactly the type of person who would use that to her own advantage. 

She shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Raina. It's just … We need him. Trust me."

Raina snorted. "Yeah right," she muttered. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Alright, fine. We'll keep him around for a while." She suddenly smiled, the kind of smile that usually meant she was about to say something which would please her immensely. "But only because we might need him to get _my_ Michael back."

Jenny pursed her lips, feeling the familiar Raina-fury rising in her throat. She fought it for a moment, so tempted to say something smart back, but not wanting to do it in front of Damian. "Fine," she said between clenched teeth. "I'm glad you agree."

Raina's smile dimmed a bit at Jenny's control. She glanced at her watch, then smiled at Jenny sweetly. "Well, it's still early. I'm going to get out of here and have some _fun_ before I die. Staying here is like partying with two stiffs." She purposely glanced at Damian at that, then breezed out the door, graciously slamming it behind her. 

As soon as she was gone, Damian was at Jenny's side, looking down at her with concern, his hand lightly brushing back and forth on her elbow. Shockwaves trembled up her arm at every touch, and she suddenly found it hard to concentrate. She stared up at his face, feeling herself being drawn into his gaze. His eyes were like a whirlpool of blue energy, drawing her very soul into him. 

She blinked and the spell was broken. Still, she avoided his eyes anyway. It wasn't too hard, with the way her whole arm was tingling at his touch.

God, how did this happen, she thought.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Damian asked. "Troy and those guys. They're dangerous. I would understand if you went back home."

Jenny lifted her chin. "No way! I asked _you_ for help. I'm not backing out now because I'm afraid. Besides …" She grinned mischievously. "I live for danger." 

Damian stared at her for a second, then grabbed her and pulled her close, hugging her fiercely against his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head. 

"How is it that someone like you was meant for someone like me?" he asked softly, his voice full of disbelief. "I'll always be there for you, Jenny. Even if I can't have you. I'll protect you when Michael can't."

Unexpectedly, Jenny's eyes filled with tears. They didn't spill, but they blurred her vision into a hazy world of light and colors. She looked up at him. "I know you will," she whispered. "And I'm sorry that I can't … accept things." She pulled herself away from the warmth of his embrace, swiping at a wet eye. "I need to get some air. Alone," she told him, giving him a small smile. 

He nodded, a small, sad frown creasing his lips. The image tore at something inside Jenny, and for a moment she wanted nothing more than to run back into his arms and tell him she didn't mean it. Instead, she turned and walked out the door, willing herself not to look back. 

***********

Jenny stopped and took a deep breath at the top of the steps outside the apartment building's main doors. Although the sun had set hours ago, the lights of the city seemed to fill the sky with an almost unearthly glow. The street in front of the apartment was well-lit, but not busy. She could hear the low rumble of traffic in the distance. 

She wasn't sure exactly where in Chicago they were; she hadn't visited enough to be familiar with more than the downtown area. She didn't care, though. She just felt like she needed to get away from it all for a little while before she suffocated. Away from the apartment, her troubles, and especially Damian. She hadn't been feeling like herself lately. In fact, she felt more like an untethered balloon bouncing around in the wind, unable to control where it goes. She hoped a late-night walk would help clear her head.

For a moment, she stood on the top step, pressing her fingertips against her eyes until red spots floated into her vision. She could feel all the tension and anxiety of the day seeping away from her muscles. This was what she needed. A nice, leisurely stroll to relax a little. She wouldn't even think about Damian or the Executioners if she could help it. 

With a nod of her head, she dropped her hands and went down the steps. She turned left at the sidewalk, instinctively turning her back on the lights and the hustle and bustle of the city. 

When she reached the end of the block, she turned left again, heading down a darker street. She felt amazingly coolheaded and confident, despite being alone in a dangerous city like Chicago. After everything she had been through, she felt she could handle anyone who gave her trouble. 

The October air was almost chilly. Goosebumps kept trying to rise against her flesh. No wonder, with as much skin the dress she still wore revealed. But although cool, no breeze stirred on the night air. 

Jenny smiled, remembering something she had been told in one of her history classes. The common belief was that Chicago was called The Windy City because of its location on Lake Michigan and the winds that swept off the lake, especially during the winter. Some argued the validity of that, however, saying that the nickname originally came about as a commentary on the politicians of the city. 

She had always liked Chicago. Maybe it was just the skyscrapers towering over her when she walked downtown, but every time she came to Chicago, she left feeling impressed by it. There was just a feeling of enormous size in the city. Chicago was full of brightly-lit buildings and dark corners. Maybe it was the mystery of the unknown that drew Jenny.

Or maybe, subconsciously, she thought her parents' killers could be hidden deep in the underbelly of the city.

Deep in thought, Jenny passed a crumbling apartment building with a broken porch light. A hand darted out of the darkness next to the steps and grabbed her arm, dragging her into the shadows before she could react.

"What the-!" she exclaimed.

"Shh," a voice said. The person held a finger to Jenny's lips. "It's me."

Jenny suddenly realized who was standing in front of her, blending into the darkness like a shadow herself. "Tiffany! What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

Tiffany grinned into the darkness. "Covert operations."

"Which means …?"

Tiffany shrugged. "They let me follow you."

"You've been following me?!" Jenny felt a twinge of betrayal. "Why? You guys don't trust me?"

"Let's just say we weren't sure if you'd include us in your plans." Jenny opened her mouth to protest, but Tiffany continued. "And obviously we were right. I managed to follow you all the way to Chicago and a Night World club without a word of notice from you."

Jenny closed her mouth. Tiffany was right. Dammit. Jenny honestly hadn't even thought about Liv and Peter since the night before. "Okay, so what do you want?"

"I just want to know if you've found out anything."

Jenny sighed. "If I had found out anything, would I still be here?"

Tiffany raised an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me that you, a human, and a vampire slayer at that, went into a Night World club and didn't come up with anything?"

"That's exactly what I mean," Jenny said. She fell silent and stepped farther into the shadows as someone walked by. After he passed, she continued softly, "All I know is that this guy, Troy, runs the club and knows something about what's going on. He didn't give anything away. He just threatened us. He knows we're here."

Tiffany's eyes widened. "Troy knows you're here? And he knows who you are?"

"Yeah, so what?" Jenny said, raising her chin. "I'm not afraid of him."

Tiffany shook her head. "I know you're brave, and you're strong, Jenny, but you're naïve. Troy is someone you should be afraid of." She reached out and grabbed Jenny's arm, squeezing it for emphasis. 

And for a moment, Jenny did feel afraid. She could feel the fear spark in the pit of her stomach. She remembered the animosity she had felt when they went to Troy earlier, and she'd never even met him. Still, Jenny hated fear; she felt it made her weak. So she swallowed and extinguished the feeling before it could catch fire. 

"I'll be fine," she said. "And I will find out what's going on."

Jenny suddenly realized she was now involved in much more than an Executioners rescue. Now that Daybreak was involved, Jenny's purpose was to rescue _everybody_ who had been taken. She suddenly understood how Atlas must have felt carrying the weight of the world on his broad shoulders. 

Tiffany nodded. "Okay. Just be careful. I'll be around if you find anything." She turned to go, then stopped. "Oh, and Jenny. Don't Damian about me and Daybreak, okay?"

"Why? I thought he belonged to Daybreak."

Tiffany shrugged. "He used to. But something happened and now he hates us. Telling him would only make things worse." She paused. "He's only helping you so he can get his sister back. You know that, right?"

Jenny nodded. She didn't want to mention that Damian had agreed before he knew Ashton was gone. They would wonder about that. "What happened? To make him turn?"

"I don't know," Tiffany said, shaking her head. "Liv wouldn't tell me. All I know is it had something to do with a girl." She turned and stepped into the light with her usual feline grace. 

"Hey, Tiffany," Jenny called after her. Tiffany stopped and turned, gazing into the shadows where Jenny stood. Jenny had no doubt her cat's eyes could see her. "You really like Carl, don't you?"

Tiffany paused, then nodded, suddenly looking shy. If it wasn't so dark, Jenny might have said she was blushing. "He's a really nice guy."

Jenny nodded in agreement. "Then after we get him back, I think you should go out with him."

Tiffany smiled. "Bye, Jenny." She disappeared into the night. 

Jenny leaned back against the wall. She couldn't help wondering what had happened to make Damian reject Daybreak. Something about a girl. The girl she had seen in his mind? She was curious now, but she doubted Damian would tell her. She supposed it couldn't hurt to ask him later, if he was in a better mood. 

She pushed off the wall and started down the street again, her mind this time turning to her step-parents. She had only left them a note saying she had gone to Chicago for a few days and she couldn't explain. Her mom was probably a nervous wreck by now. They had probably reported her missing to the police. 

She sighed. She hated hurting them, but they would never understand. She couldn't tell them about the Night World. They would never believe her, and it would be risking their lives as well. If she made it home alive, she would probably be grounded for life. That was okay; she didn't need to see sunlight again anyway. 

A whispered voice behind her broke Jenny out of her thoughts. She became suddenly aware that she had wandered into a slummy area, complete with dark warehouses with broken windows and vacant, weed-filled parking lots. 

"Is that her?" She clearly heard the voice this time.

Another voice. "Looks like it. That's what Troy said she was wearing."

Then yet another voice. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

They obviously weren't too bright or they would have been more careful being quiet while sneaking up on her, she thought. Or maybe they felt they didn't need to sneak. All the muscles in her body suddenly tightened. She was all by herself in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, the fear came rushing back full force and she couldn't stop it. 

She took a deep breath. Might as well face them now before she got any more isolated. Besides, she could probably take three of them if she were careful. 

She turned around as someone yelled "Get her!" and saw at least half a dozen full-blooded – or no-blooded, depending on how you looked at it – vampires rushing toward her. 

Instinctively, she screamed. 


	18. chapter 18: street fight

****

Damian sat on the couch, staring blankly at the wall. He felt so frustrated. Ever since he'd met Jenny, he'd felt … strangely complete. And yet, he felt like a part of him was missing. She wouldn't accept him, and maybe never would. And who could blame her? Damian was a blood-sucking monster to her, he knew that. Why would a beautiful girl like Jenny want to give up everything she knew as right, for him? Especially when Michael was around, and human. Damian usually felt pretty good about himself, but tonight his self-confidence was plummeting.

His lip curled at the thought of Michael. The jerk could have had Jenny any time, and he was apparently oblivious to that. The soulmate connection was strong, but Jenny was stronger, probably stronger than she knew. She could probably resist it with her morals and thoughts of Michael, although Damian knew she would never be completely happy. He just wished she realized how happy Damian could make her. Hell, fate had intended them for each other. You couldn't get much better than that. 

He sighed and began pacing the room. He felt like a new person, although he would never admit that to anyone besides Jenny. He had never felt this way toward a human before. He had worked with Daybreak in the past, but humans were different, breakable, meant to be kept at a distance. And after what had happened in Las Vegas, he had turned to killing humans, not caring a drop about them.

But he wouldn't think about Las Vegas, about _her_. Not now.

He ran a hand through his dark hair. He would wait for Jenny. He had no choice. Maybe she would accept him eventually. Even if she was old and gray and senile by the time she accepted him, he would wait. 

He knew he would be willing to die for her, if it came to that. 

***********

Jenny wasn't going to go down without a fight. Despite her whole body ringing with alarm, a cloud of coolheaded sharpness descended on her. If she worked this right, she just might get out of here alive. She had no time for panic.

For a split second, everything seemed to slow down. She took in the vampires, her mind quickly working out a strategy. These vampires were all young. She could sense that. And that meant they weren't as at home with their new bodies as they could be. A weakness she would certainly exploit. She would take out the young vampires first. 

That one, on the left. He seemed to be their leader. He was bigger and even while running exhibited the vampire grace the others lacked. Either he was older or he was lamia. She bet he would probably let the others do the dirty work. She tuned him out for now. 

In one fluid motion, she reached down and pulled the knife out of her boot. Unfortunately, that was her only weapon. Fortunately, the vampires didn't look too bright.

"Alright, Jenny, concentrate," she told herself, waiting for the vampires to reach her.

A roar filled her throat and burst out in a raging war cry. The first vampire had enough time to look vaguely concerned before Jenny twisted and knocked him to the ground with a roundhouse kick to the head. He moaned and lay stunned on the ground.

The next vampire was on her in an instant, throwing a punch at her face. She ducked. The fist whistled in the air over her head. She reached up and grabbed it, turning her back to him and pulling his arm down hard across her shoulder. She felt his arm give, followed by a snapping sound like a twig breaking. 

The vampire screamed and Jenny let him yank his arm back. He cradled it limply against his chest and glared at her. "You broke my arm, you bitch!"

Jenny's mouth took off on its own, as it usually did when she was fighting. "You shouldn't have been sticking it where it didn't belong, then," she said, and kicked him in the knee for good measure. He collapsed to the ground alongside the first vampire. 

Jenny turned her attention back to the remaining vampires. They weren't rushing her anymore. Rather, they hung back, a group of three young vampires looking suddenly unsure of themselves.

"What's the matter?" Jenny called, flexing her hand around the knife. "I'm a girl, I'm human, and I'm outnumbered. I would think you guys would be all over that."

The three looked at the leader, a tall and muscular vampire with blond hair and dark blue eyes. He was handsome, except for an ugly scar across one cheek. He couldn't be lamia then, Jenny reasoned. Lamia couldn't get scars; they healed too fast. The leader turned and met Jenny's eyes. For a split second, their gazes were locked. Jenny could feel the hatred in his eyes, all because she was human. Fine, she thought. I don't care much for you either. 

Jenny loved battle, despite the danger and the sore body she'd be sure to have later. It made her feel free and powerful. Of course, the fact that she really hadn't lost yet helped up her confidence. If she lost, she'd be dead. You lost to Damian, a little voice in her head spoke up. Shut up, she told it. Then she did the inexplicable. Eyes still locked with the leader, she stuck out her tongue at him and grinned, a wild grin. 

The leader did a quick little double-take, looking at her for a second like he didn't know how to take that. Then he snarled, suddenly angry. 

"You know, you really shouldn't do that," Jenny said. "It makes you look like you have rabies or something."

"Get her!" he roared at the three. The other vampires turned back to her, and a wave of fear crashed through her again. They weren't going to be stupid and take her one on one this time. They charged at her as a group. 

"Oh shit!" she muttered through clenched teeth. One of these days, she was really going to have to learn some control. It was fine to bait the enemy when she was winning, but not so bright when she wasn't. 

The three vampires spread out to take her on three sides.

***********

Damian moved out to the front steps of the building, sucking on a cigarette. He didn't know why he smoked, except that it tended to be an obnoxious habit around people who didn't smoke. He didn't care what it could do to humans. It was just a habit; vampires could have habits too. 

But Jenny hated smokers. And Jenny wasn't just any human. He held the cigarette in front of his face, letting the end burn down as he stared at it. Really, it was just a piece of paper. What did he need it for? And it was a bad habit. It made him smell like smoke, he admitted to himself. Did he really need to continue it? A tiny voice inside him suggested maybe it would help bring Jenny to him if he was a non-smoker.

He sighed and looked up at the night sky. Shaking his head, he tossed the cigarette to the ground and stamped on it. 

Someone walked by on the sidewalk below, and for the first time he wondered where Jenny was. He glanced at his watch. She'd been gone for more than half an hour. Worry tinged his thoughts. What if Troy had hunted her down? Maybe he should go find her and make sure she was okay. 

But she had gone for a walk to be away from Damian, so she could think. Damian didn't want to interrupt that. 

I'll just wait, he told himself, and made himself sit down on the step. She needs some time to herself.

***********

Jenny backed away from the vampires, trying to buy time to come up with a plan. The one on the left was the smallest, but he also had the most muscle. The other two were tall, but the one on the right had a look in his eyes that told Jenny that he was probably the youngest of the group. He looked nervous, almost frightened. That's the one, she told herself.

She hop-skipped quickly backwards a few steps, bringing her knife hand back. As she stopped, she whipped the knife forward and threw it at the vampire on the right. With most vampires, Jenny wouldn't even attempt such a move; their reflexes were so fast that most would either catch the knife or dodge it. With this one, though, Jenny's instincts told her a knife throw would work. 

Her instincts were right. Instead of ducking or grabbing for the incoming knife, the vampire froze, his eyes widening. The knife imbedded itself in his chest, right where his heart should be. Jenny had been practicing knife-throwing; it was her new favorite thing to practice. Apparently practice had paid off. The vampire collapsed to the ground, a gurgling sound escaping his mouth. Within seconds, he was still. 

Nothing changed in his body after death. He must have just been changed.

"Aww, no puff of dust or anything?" Jenny asked. The other two had paused their charge temporarily to gape at the their fallen comrade. "You guys disappoint me."

The middle vampire grinned at Jenny. "We'll make it up to you after we kill you, vermin."

Jenny nodded. "Sure, sure." She ran at the vampire who had spoken to her. He was quicker than she thought, though, and dove to the ground at her feet, knocking her down. She landed on her back, gasping as air rushed out of her lungs. The two vampires were on her in second, teeth bared.

One went for her throat, and Jenny whipped her arm up, striking him against his own throat. He gasped and stood up, his hands clutching his throat and his face turning purple. 

That left only the one who'd spoken to her. He'd grabbed her arm and was pulling it back against him, his knees digging into her other arm to hold it down. Her shoulder shrieked in pain. He was going to tear her arm off. Not only that, but she could feel a really big rock digging into her shoulder blade, and out of the corner of her eye, she could she the first two vampires getting up. The one whose arm she'd broken looked enraged. She'd better do something, and fast. 

"Hey, aren't you … forgetting something?" Jenny gasped to the vampire on top of her between waves of pain. 

He looked down at her and grinned. "And what is that?"

She smiled grimly back. "I have legs too." Using every muscle she could, she raised her legs so the small of her back was off the ground. She used the momentum to do what she liked to call the Helicopter. She twisted her legs around and kicked the vampire in the back of the head with one foot, at the same time bringing her other foot around and smashing him in the chest with it. The move surprised him and knocked him backwards. He let go of her arm, and she pulled it back to her with a sigh of relief. 

Before he could react, she sat up and dove across the pavement to the dead vampire, pulling her knife out of his chest. As soon as she had the knife in her hand, the vampire ran at her and kicked her in the back. She fell forward over the dead vampire's body and the knife flew out of her hand, skittering across the pavement.

At that moment, the one streetlight in the area went out. Jenny didn't know if somebody did it or if it did it by itself. What she did know was that it was suddenly pitch black except for the glow of the city in the distance. She'd never find her knife now unless she fell on it.

She kicked back with one foot, feeling it connect with something. The vampire cursed. She rolled over and stared into the black night, trying to adjust her eyes to the dark. She could see the figure of the vampire she kicked, but she couldn't see the others. Great, she thought. She knew they could see her just fine.

Suddenly, a flurry of motion came barreling at her from the left. She had enough time to turn toward it before another vampire tackled her. It was the one she'd kicked in the head. He apparently felt much better now. His hands locked around her throat, cutting off her air. He chuckled at her. 

"This is for the splitting headache I've got right now, bitch," he spat at her.

She clawed at his hands, but even for a young vampire he was too strong for her. Her vision began flashing red and purple.

Then suddenly, "Stop," a voice commanded from somewhere in the dark. The hands lifted from her throat and she pulled in air, blessedly cool air. Her throat burned. She coughed and rolled onto her side.

Someone stood next to her, and she stared up at him, trying to make out his shape in the dark. It was the leader. He looked down at her, motioning for the others to stay back.

"Well, not so tough as you think you are, vermin?" Even in the darkness, Jenny could see he was smiling. His eyes glowed like molten silver. "But much as we'd like to make a feast out of you, we're supposed to keep you alive."

"Why?" Jenny managed to choke out. 

The leader shrugged. "Because Troy said to, and because we do what Troy says." He bent over to grab her arm and drag her up.

"No!" she shrieked, her lungs suddenly full of air again. She rolled away from him and scrambled to her feet again. She no longer wanted to fight; she wanted to run.

_Damian!_ the voice in her mind screamed. Yes, cling to that, she thought. She put all her energy into the thought and sort of pushed with her mind. _Damian, help!_

The leader lunged at her, and she kicked out, landing her foot in his stomach. It only slowed him for a second, though. Jenny took off at a sprint, her only thought to get back out on the open street where there would be other people.

A foot landed in her back for the second time and she fell to the ground, skidding across rocks and gravel. Her head smacked the cement and for a second her vision was full of lights. The leader pounced on her, picking her up and raising her above his head. Jenny caught a glimpse of the night sky before she was suddenly hurtling through the air. 

She hit the brick wall of a building and bounced off it, landing on the ground below it with a shriek of pain. Her whole body screamed in agony, and she could feel everything growing dim. A pile of gravel dug into her cheek where it lay, but she didn't care. She fought her eyes open and saw a pair of black shoes walking toward her. It seemed to take an eternity.

This is it, she thought. This time I lost. The world started spinning wildly and she had to close her eyes. Just before she blacked out, she heard a voice cry out, "Hey!"


	19. chapter 19: waking up

"Jenny?"

The voice floated toward her through the haziness in her mind. Am I dreaming? she thought. Am I dead?

Certain she must be dead, Jenny figured she had imagined the voice. Her mind was full of cobwebs and dark clouds. She couldn't feel her body, and she certainly couldn't open her eyes. Consciousness was a dark cliff with jagged edges in her mind.

"Jenny."

There it was again. For a moment, Jenny thought she recognized it, but her mind was quickly receding back into the dark pit she'd pulled herself out of.

***********

Time passed. Jenny didn't know how long she floated in the dark spaces of her mind, but she gradually became aware of her body again. Slowly, she broke back into consciousness until at last she could hesitantly blink open her eyes. 

She looked around, slowly because her neck screamed in agony at the slightest movement. She was lying on a bed, a strange bed in a strange room. Comforters were piled on top of her. Pale sunlight filtered into the room through gauzy curtains on a window in the opposite wall. A table was pushed into one corner, covered in what Jenny thought looked like dead weeds.

In the other corner was a chair. Jenny's eyes widened. Damian sat in the chair asleep, his dark hair hanging in his face and his chin resting on his chest. His hands dangled from the sides of the chairs. 

"Damian?" Jenny tried to speak, but nothing came out but a scratchy, airy sound. Damian didn't stir. 

She tried to sit up, just as the door opened and a girl walked in, her hands full of some kind of cloth. She saw Jenny and gasped, running to the bed.

"Don't move, Jenny," she said in a gentle voice, pushing her back down on the bed. The girl was tall and thin, with long auburn hair. The eyes she turned on Jenny were large and gray, exuding a sense of wisdom although she didn't look much older than Jenny herself.

Jenny blinked and stared at the girl. "Where am I? Who are you?" This at least she was able to vocalize, if only in a whisper. 

The girl smiled down at her. "My name's Aislinn. I'm a friend of Damian's. He brought you here to heal." 

"Heal? What happened?" Jenny asked, rubbing her forehead with one sore hand. She remembered taking a walk and fighting with some vampires, but everything was fuzzy. 

Aislinn smiled again, a reassuring smile. "You were badly injured. That's all you need to worry about for now. Right now, you need your rest." She turned away from Jenny, setting the cloth she had been carrying on the table full of weeds.

"What are you doing?" Jenny asked.

"Making an herb packet," Aislinn answered without turning around. Her hands moved rapidly on the table, filling the cloth with the weeds – no, herbs, Jenny corrected herself. "To cleanse your aura. It's been damaged." She turned and gave Jenny a concerned glance.

_To cleanse my aura_? Jenny couldn't help feeling a little skeptical. She'd never heard anyone talking like this. Maybe the girl was a little off her rocker. 

Aislinn turned back to Jenny. "You know, you're very lucky you survived. You took some pretty bad blows. You must be very strong or they would have killed you easily." Her tone was laced with respect. She placed the herb packet under Jenny's pillow. "You should sleep now. Don't worry. Everything will be alright." 

Jenny nodded, already feeling the weight of sleep pulling at her eyelids. She watched as Aislinn opened the door, for a few seconds revealing a dimly lit room, then stepped outside and closed the door gently. 

_I am so tired_, Jenny thought. _Sleep would be good._ Her thoughts trailed off as she drifted into a deep sleep. 

***********

When she awoke again, the sunlight filtering through the windows was gone. The room was dark except for one candle burning on the table. She felt more awake this time than she had before. Slowly, she sat up. Thankfully, she realized she could do it without too much pain. She was more stiff than anything. She rotated her arm, rubbing her shoulder with her other hand to work out the knots in it. 

"Well, this really sucks," she mumbled. She hated being in pain like this. It made her weak, which made her feel helpless.

A noise across the room caught her attention, and she looked up in time to see Damian standing up from the chair he had been sitting in. He smiled at her as he crossed the room, the dim candlelight casting shadows across his face. He knelt beside the bed and gazed at her. "I heard you woke up earlier, but I was … taking a nap. How are you feeling?" he asked softly. The ring of violet in his eyes seemed to be wider, covering more of the blue than usual and making his eyes seem darker and deeper. 

"To be honest," she said, tearing her eyes from his, "I feel awful. Everything hurts. What happened? All I remember is being thrown into a brick wall."

He frowned. "I saw that. It happened right as I got there. I didn't get there in time to stop them."

Jenny gasped. "Damian, did you fight them? By yourself?"

He shook his head. "I was alone at first, but then your friend Tiffany came along to help." A hint of anger tinged his voice at that.

"Tiffany? Oh, Damian…" Jenny began.

Damian interrupted her. "Jenny, why didn't you tell me Daybreak was involved?"

"I … I don't know. I wanted to, but … They told me not to tell you. That you hated them and would cause trouble."

He nodded. "I see." He turned away from her, and Jenny could tell he was hurt. "And you just agreed that I couldn't be trusted. That I was too _dangerous_." Damian wasn't asking questions. He made them statements, as if he already knew the answers.

"No, I … I don't know," Jenny sputtered helplessly. She felt she could and should trust Damian, but she admitted to herself that she was still a little scared of what he might do in certain situations. Look at what he was, after all. "They told me you had a falling out with Daybreak, and I didn't know why, and I guess … I guess I just thought it would be better if you didn't know. I'm sorry."

Damian turned back to her, and Jenny was surprised to see his eyes had turned completely violet. No blue at all, like the violet had just swallowed it up. "Do you want to know why I am the way I am?" he asked. "Why I left Daybreak and started killing?"

Jenny nodded, mute.

He nodded back. "Well, I can't tell you. I have to show you."

"What do you mean?"

Damian stood and sat on the bed next to her.  
" I mean, you're very weak from that fight. You were unconscious for two days." He raised his hand to stop her from interrupting. "You need to be strong, because we don't know when we might be found. Aislinn thinks her herbs and packets are enough to make you strong again, but they're not. She's naïve. What you need, only I can give you."

Jenny stared at him, wide-eyed. "What?" she whispered.

He gazed at her silently for a minute, then lightly brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. "You have to trust me. Do you trust me, Jenny?"

Jenny thought a minute, then nodded. She could feel the urgency behind the question. He was asking about more than whatever he was going to do. "Yes…"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay. Jenny, what I'm asking of you is to share blood. I don't just mean me taking it from you. You need my blood. It will heal you and make you strong faster than any human remedy or witch's spells."

Jenny suddenly felt as if an enormous weight was pressing down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. "You're asking me to … drink your blood?"

He nodded. "And in return, I'll open myself up to you. I'll let you see _all_ my dark little secrets. I want you to trust me, Jenny." He took her hand and squeezed it. "I know that's hard for you to do if I'm hiding things from you. I can't lie to you in my own mind. You'll see for yourself." He paused and looked at her. "But only if you're willing. If you say no, I won't push it. But you _need _my strength."

"It won't … make me like you, will it?" Jenny found herself asking.

He shook his head. "Not if we're careful. It takes three exchanges for that. One will simply make you a little stronger for a few days." He stood suddenly. "You need to think about it, I know. I'll leave you alone for a while." At that, he was gone, and Jenny found herself alone in the room. The single candle on the table flickered, throwing light and shadows across the walls.

She took a deep breath and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Waves of pain rolled up her legs and back, and she gasped. After the pain diminished, she tried standing. Almost instantly, pain throbbed through her head and the room spun crazily. She sat down hard on the bed. Damian was right; she was badly injured. She'd always been a quick healer, but she guessed it might be better than a week before she could walk around comfortably, even longer before she would be able to defend herself.

"I don't have that much time," she whispered. She only had about a week before Halloween and whatever was going to happen. She had to get the rest of the Executioners back before then. 

But drinking Damian's blood? She didn't know if she could do it. Just the thought of it made her feel weak – weaker than she already was.

She'd always prided herself on being strong, being able to hold out for her beliefs. But lately, she'd done nothing but go against everything she'd ever worked for. She was working _with_ Circle Daybreak for one thing. And she was _falling _for a cold-blooded vampire, for God's sake! If she followed Damian's suggestion, it would be like crossing the ultimate line. She would never be able to go back to her previous life, killing vampires without remorse. 

It all came down to which was more important to her – clinging to the last scraps of her beliefs – and her humanity – or saving the Executioners. 

***********

"I don't know what to do, Aislinn," Damian said. He sat on a stool, tilting it backward so he could lean on the wall. "I feel like I'm losing control of myself. I don't even recognize myself anymore. Am I doing the right thing by not fighting it?"

He watched as Aislinn moved around the small kitchen, chopping vegetables and grinding herbs into a powder, which she tossed into a pot. She had explained to Damian that she was making a stew that would make Jenny feel better. She wouldn't tell him what was in it, though. "Family secret," she'd told him with a grin.

"You _know_ what I think, Damian," she said in between chops. "Being soulmates is not something that will just go away. It's very serious. There's no point fighting it. The more you fight it, the longer you keep yourself from the happiness it could bring you." She stopped what she was doing and went to Damian. She squeezed his hand. "Fate sees no boundaries when she decides who should be soulmates. It doesn't matter if you're human or lamia." She gazed at him with wide gray eyes. "Jenny will eventually realize this. She'll come around. I know it's not one of your best qualities, Damian, but just be patient." She smiled and went back to her chopping board. 

"Yeah," he sighed. As usual, Aislinn made perfect sense. He'd known her for a long time, and she'd never steered him wrong.

Aislinn glanced at him over her shoulder, a grin spreading across her face. "And by the way, I like the new you. You're more like the old you, not the arrogant jerk you became. You were starting to remind me of Ash Redfern."

Damian opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when the bedroom door opened. Jenny stood in the doorway, clutching the blanket to her chest. She looked small and fragile, and something tugged at Damian's heart. He wanted to rush to her and sweep her up in his arms. He would take her away from all this and keep her safe. 

Instead, he stood and gave her a quizzical look.

She pursed her lips, then slowly nodded.


	20. chapter 20: damian's dark secret

****

(Author's Note: I just want to thank everybody who's commented so far. I really appreciate it. I was surprised that I got so many so fast, considering my other stories haven't. *grin* Anyway, I'm really unsure of this chapter, so what I want to know is if it's way too cheesy, especially the first few sections. I hate when I get cheesy. I know that the whole soulmate principle has some innate cheesiness, but did I handle it okay, or should I try to rework it? Thanks!!)

Damian followed Jenny back into the room, one hand pressed protectively against the small of her back. He guided her to the bed and sat down beside her.

Jenny took a deep breath and met his gaze. He stared at her intently.

Quick, change the subject! her mind screamed as panic welled up inside of her. Do anything! Just don't let him bite you!

Oh God, I don't want to do this, she thought. I'm so scared. Outwardly, she composed herself and said calmly, "So what happened to Raina?" It was the first time Raina had come to mind, and now she wondered. Raina had been gone when Jenny left the apartment. Was she out there now, wandering around, wondering where they were?

A shadow crossed Damian's face. "She went home. She decided it was all too much for her."

So much for wondering where they were. Quiet rage filled Jenny. "Damn her. All she thinks about is herself."

Damian gently touched Jenny's cheek. "But not you. You're completely unselfish." He leaned toward her and panic overrode her senses again. She jumped back.

"I … What about Tiffany?" she stammered. 

Damian sighed, then took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. "She's around." With his other hand, he reached up and turned Jenny's head so she was looking at him. "Jenny, we don't have to do this. Just say the word."

She stared into his eyes, noticing that a little bit of blue had come back into them. They made his eyes seem gentler somehow, less wild despite their difference from normal eyes. His tousled dark hair seemed to absorb the dim candlelight, like a black hole sucking the light in and not letting it back out. Her eyes traced the strong line of his jaw, down to his lips and lingered there. His mouth looked just like anyone else's, yet she knew that behind those lips were razor sharp instruments of death. At the same time, she had felt the sheer electricity those lips could offer her just at the slightest touch. How could something so cold and dangerous be so passionate and warm at the same time? 

Her thoughts drifted to the Executioners. Mari, her best friend in the whole world. Carl, who would be perfect with Tiffany. Gunther, so big and hulking, yet so kind and gentle at the same time. And Michael, dear sweet Michael. She'd always sworn her love for him. Although he'd never offered it back, she'd never given up on him.

Raina had given up on them, had packed her bags and gone home to live like nothing had happened. The empty void left by the disappearance of the four Executioners didn't matter to Raina. After all, she herself was still alive, and that was all that mattered, right?

Well, they all mattered to Jenny. She was willing to put her life on the line to get them back, because without them, she was nothing. If there was still a chance that they were alive, she would try to get them back, no matter what sacrifices had to be made.

Filled with a new resolve, she set her jaw and looked at Damian. "I said I would do it, and I'm going to do it. We have to get them back."

A small smile flickered across his lips, and Jenny could see respect filling his gaze. He scooted closer to her. "Okay, then let's do it."

***********

As like before, the only pain was a short sting as Damian, with his arms wrapped around her, bit into her throat. With a flash, her vision filled with a golden light. She floated, awash in the light.

_Damian?_ She reached out with her mind toward a blue presence in the golden light.

_I'm here, Jenny. Come closer._

Although she no longer had a physical body, Jenny somehow moved toward Damian's presence, reaching out with smoky tendrils toward him.

_Jenny, I have no walls this time._ His tone sounded almost sad. _Please, I want you to understand me._ A dark spot suddenly appeared in the blue light, growing larger until it almost cancelled out the blue. She drifted toward the darkness, the window to Damian's soul, if he had one. Fear prickled throughout her.

I don't want to see, she thought. I don't know what it will be, but I don't want to see.

She kept going anyway, until at last she passed into the darkness, and all the light vanished. 

Damian's words echoed around her. _Please… Understand… _

***********

For a few minutes, Jenny floated in the darkness, waiting for something to happen. Then it did. She was suddenly thrown into a grassy area. Trees clustered in groups in her field of vision, and tall grass grew at their feet. What happened? she wondered.

"Damian!" someone called, the voice distant and echoey. Her view shifted to the left, revealing a small girl with chestnut hair grinning in Jenny's direction. With a shock, she realized she was seeing through Damian's eyes. The girl looked about 7 or 8. "Damian, you'll always be my friend, right?" the girl asked.

The girl reached out and grabbed Damian's hand. He looked down at their clasped hands, then wrenched his back. 

"Not if you keep touching me with your disgusting _girl_ hands, Elizabeth!" Damian's voice was small and high-pitched, and Jenny guessed he was probably the same age as the girl.

The girl gasped as Damian stuck out his tongue at her and grinned. He took off running as the girl tried to hit him, laughing at her inability to keep up with him.

Without warning, the scene suddenly shifted. This time Damian stood on a patio high above the lights of a city – Las Vegas, it looked like. Behind him, a sliding door swished open. He turned, revealing Ashton leaning out the door and smiling at him. She looked a few years younger than she did now.

"Damian, Elizabeth's here," she said, then stepped aside to allow the tall girl through. Ashton slipped Damian a wink as she retreated back inside. 

The girl, Elizabeth, smiled at Damian and slid her arms around his waist. Damian buried his face in her hair. 

"I love you, Lizzy," he whispered. He could feel her smile against his chest. 

"You know I'll always love you," she returned. 

A scream ripped through the air, and suddenly Jenny was running through tall grass. A field, it looked like, full of dark shadows where the moon gleaming down from overhead couldn't penetrate.

"Elizabeth!" Damian screamed, his voice full of sheer panic. Jenny had never heard him sound so frightened. He sprinted toward four figures in the distance. Elizabeth stood in the middle, and Jenny realized the other three were humans, armed with stakes and wooden weapons. One, a girl, held a stake to Elizabeth's chest. Vampire hunters, Jenny thought. Just like me.

Elizabeth stared at Damian, her blue eyes wide and full of tears. Fear had drained the color from her face. 

"Stay back, vampire, or she gets it!" one human yelled. 

Damian froze. "Elizabeth," he whispered shakily. Another vampire hunter suddenly materialized behind Damian, bringing a knife to his heart and laughing. Damian never took his eyes from Elizabeth.

"I love you, Damian. Always," she whispered. 

The girl laughed. "Isn't that so sweet. It disgusts me! Well, you can spend forever together in Hell!"

Damian shook his head wildly. "No!" he tried to yell, but nothing came out.

The girl shrieked and brought down the stake into Elizabeth's chest. Elizabeth gasped in pain. She met Damian's eyes. "I'm sorry," she choked.

"Elizabeth!" he roared, throwing the boy next to him to the ground. It was too late. Elizabeth collapsed to the ground. Damian knew she was dead even though nothing changed physically. He could _feel_ her gone.

"Die, evil bloodsucker!" the girl screamed and rushed at Damian.

A cloud of red fell over Damian's vision. Hatred boiled within him. Elizabeth was gone. These vermin would have to die. He'd always respected humans, worked with them in Daybreak, but now… He suddenly understood why the Night World hated them so much, wanted them dead. Something innocent had been burned from him.

The next few minutes were wild, frenzied, a blur of motion and screams of agony. Jenny couldn't really tell what was going on until at last Damian collapsed to his knees next to Elizabeth's still form, drenched in blood. The vampire hunters – or what was left of them – lie spread around Damian.

He lifted Elizabeth's head and nestled it against his chest. Hot tears slid down his cheeks, glistening in the moonlight. 

"I love you, Lizzy. It should have been me."

The image faded and Jenny found herself thrust back into the golden light. 

_Damian. I'm so sorry. I had no idea._

Silence, then he spoke. _I vowed after that I would have nothing to with humans, other than to feed on them. I wanted to kill them all, but I knew better than that. _His voice was heavy with emotion._ They killed her, for no reason! They ripped my life to shreds. We were _helping_ humans in Daybreak! She was the kindest, most gentle person I've ever known, and they killed her. _ He fell silent.

Jenny didn't know what to say. She was as bad as them. She'd killed and killed, and for no other reason than that she hated them all. How many vampires like Elizabeth had she killed? She would never know. _How… can you stand me? _she found herself asking. 

His voice grew tender. _Jenny, none of that matters with you. We're meant for each other. And you're _not_ like them. I mean… I know you're a hunter, but… in a way, you're like me. Avenging the deaths of your loved ones. Maybe together, our wrongs are supposed to make a right._

Jenny froze. _How did you know about my family?_

She could sense Damian smiling. _You haven't exactly tried to hide yourself from me. I've seen inside you. I know you're a good person._

Oh. If she had been aware of her physical body just then, she probably would have been blushing.

_Damian, I…_ she started, but she was suddenly wrenched away from him. She was sitting on her bed again, leaning against Damian.

"What happened?" She sat up and the room spun crazily. "Oh…" She grabbed the side of her head.

Damian pulled her back to him, cradling her in his arms. She felt weak, like her muscles consisted of Jello. "I've taken a lot of your blood, that's what's happened," he said. He rested his chin on her head. "We need to replenish it now."

Her heart seemed to stop and her breath caught in her throat. "You mean…"

He nodded. "Don't be scared. It's not as bad as you think."

She stared at him, wide-eyed. "What do I have to do?"

Damian lifted his wrist to his mouth and slid it sideways across his teeth, opening a cut. Blood quickly welled up to fill the wound. He held it out to her. 

She closed her eyes. "Think ketchup," she told herself. "Tomato juice." She opened her eyes again, staring at the blood glistening on his wrist.

She took a deep breath. "Here goes." She lifted his wrist to her mouth.

He was right. It wasn't as bad as she'd imagined. As long as she didn't focus on the fact that it was blood, she found it almost… pleasant, dare she admit. It had a tart, coppery taste which she recognized from her own blood when she bit her lip. But beneath that, there was something else, something more exotic, like a forbidden fruit. She felt intoxicated by it. Was it because it was vampire blood? Or was all blood like this? Jenny could almost see how vampires could live on the stuff. She could feel life energy pouring into her, Damian's strength building up in her muscles.

She lost track of time, basking in the warmth the blood filled her with. Then it was gone.

"Hey," she protested automatically, looking up at Damian. He smiled down at her, then ran a finger delicately across her lips. 

"That's enough. How do you feel?"

She yawned, still warm inside. "Very sleepy." She sagged against Damian, fighting to keep her eyelids open. He wrapped his arms securely around her. 

"Yes," he said softly. "That's what's supposed to happen. Your body needs to recuperate now." He pushed her hair away from her face, gazing down at her. "Rest now."

She nodded, her vision blurring from trying to keep her eyes open. She leaned her head against his shoulder and let her eyes close.

"Yes, rest," she mumbled as a deep sleep overcame her. 


	21. chapter 21: realization

****

(Author's Note: It's gonna be just a little longer before I get to the next chapter. Don't give up on me. It's Finals week, that's all, and I have lots of studying and packing to go home to do. Soon as I get the time, I'm gonna work on the next chapter. Maybe even on the plane home. Who knows. But I promise, it will be done, and I'm _not_ quitting. )

*Chapter 21*

Jenny awoke slowly and lazily. Sunlight once again filtered through the windows, filling the room with golden light. She leaned back against her pillow and closed her eyes again, stretching lazily. Not a twinge of pain from anywhere in her body. 

She stepped – no, jumped – out of bed, suddenly aware of how strong she felt. She hadn't felt this good in … well, she'd never felt this good. 

"It worked," she breathed. She pushed up her sleeve and gazed wonderingly at the place where a gaping gash had been the night before. "I've got vampire blood in me."

She walked over to the window and pushed aside the curtain, squinting against the sunlight. The window looked out on a quiet tree-lined street. She must be in an apartment building, because the window seemed to be about five stories up. Smiling, she closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sun, letting the warmth soak into her skin. For the moment, it seemed like all of her troubles had disappeared. She wasn't hurt, her friends weren't missing, and people weren't trying to kill her and Damian. 

Her eyes flew open. Damian. She had to thank him! She took a sweater and jeans out of her bag next to the bed and pulled them on quickly. As she stepped out of the bedroom into the kitchen, she raised her hand in a wave. Her greeting died, however, when she realized he wasn't in the room. 

"Damian?" she called. No answer. 

She turned and went down the small hallway on her right. It opened on a large living area, which had been decorated tastefully in antiques. Aislinn sat on the couch reading a book, her legs curled up beneath her. She was alone.

She looked up as Jenny entered. "Hi Jenny. How are you feeling?"

"I feel fantastic, actually," she answered, wondering if Aislinn knew about the activities of the night before.

Aislinn smiled knowingly. "Yes, I suppose you do. Are you hungry? Would you like some breakfast?" She started to stand before Jenny even answered.

Jenny stopped her. "No, that's okay. Not right now. And you don't have to make me anything. I'll find something myself if it's alright with you."

Aislinn nodded. "Suit yourself." She turned back to her book.

Jenny turned toward the kitchen, then paused. "Aislinn, where's Damian?"

Without looking up from her book, Aislinn shrugged. "Oh, he said he had some errands to run. He'll be back later." 

"Okay."

Feeling somewhat let down at not being able to talk to Damian, Jenny went back to the bedroom. She sat on the bed, gazing at the dust motes dancing in the stream of sunlight coming through the window. She hated just sitting here. She should be out _doing _something, now that she was cured. She should be putting her new strength to good use before it wore off. Every day counted now, with Halloween only six days away. They needed to find out what was going on and where before it was too late. 

She sighed and stood, crossing over to the table on the other side of the room. Her hand absently brushed over the dried herbs lying on the table. She hoped Damian would be back soon so they could make plans. 

Suddenly her hand touched something that wasn't a plant. She looked down and saw a folded piece of paper half covered with the herbs she'd been pushing around the table. How had she missed it before?

She picked it up and unfolded it, her body growing cold as she read it. It was from Damian, to her.

"Jenny, you know now why I can't risk your life," she read softly out loud. "I want you to go home and wait for me there. I'll get to the bottom of this, and then I'll be back for you. Please listen to me. I can't afford to lose you too. Just remember, no matter what happens, you will _always_ be in my heart. _I love you._ Damian."

Jenny's breath caught in her throat and her knees suddenly felt weak. "No," she moaned. He couldn't be doing this. Risking everything by himself, just so she wouldn't be hurt. Didn't he know that was stupid? He could be killed without her help! 

_Killed._ The word echoed in her head. Damian, dead. Her heart felt about to burst. The thought of Damian dying affected her in a way she thought it never could. She had been trying to kill him when she met him, and now… Now, she felt if Damian died, a part of her – an _important_ part – would die along with him. A wave of fear washed through her, leaving her cold and aching in its wake. Suddenly, the principle of soulmates held a new meaning for her. It weighed down on her, threatening to flatten her. Without Damian, she would be like a puzzle bought at a garage sale with one edge piece missing. Just enough to ensure the puzzle would never be complete, never meet its potential.

"No!" she cried, and stood up, crumpling the note in her hand and shoving it in her pocket. She couldn't let him do it. There was only one place he had to be going, and she had to go after him. 

She grabbed her backpack and shoved it on the table, pawing through it for things she might need. Her knife. Her wrist sheath. Her jacket. At the bottom of the bag, she found a picture that must have been in there before she packed for going to Michael's. The picture had been taken earlier that school year after one of the Executioners' meetings. That day, she had insulted Michael and he had promptly begun tickling her as revenge. Mari had taken the picture and later given Jenny a copy. In the picture, Jenny was laughing, her eyes closed and tears in her eyelashes. Michael had grabbed her arm and turned to the camera, giving his most brilliant grin, his eyes shining with amusement. It was Jenny's favorite picture of him. She had kept it in a folder, but it must have fallen out and made its way to the bottom of her bag without her knowing. 

Now, she stared at it for a minute. She suddenly felt so confused. She had just realized how important Damian was to her, but Michael's picture still tore at her heart. Unexpectedly, tears rose to her eyes, and she swiped at them angrily. "Quit it, Jenny," she scolded herself. "Now is not the time."

She began to put the picture back in her bag, then stopped. She looked at it a moment longer, then tucked it into her back pants pocket. 

She pushed the bag under the bed and went down the hall to the living room. 

"I'm … going to take a walk, Aislinn," she told the other girl, barely slowing on her way to the front door. "I need the fresh air."

"Okay, but be careful." Jenny almost missed Aislinn's response before she closed the front door. She found her way to the main door of the building and paused on the front steps. Where was she, anyway? She'd better find out or she wouldn't be able to find Damian. She thought she could remember how to get to the club, if she could just get her bearings. The rotating sign of a gas station down the street caught her attention and she headed off down the sidewalk for it.

"Jenny!" someone called. 

Jenny froze for a second, then spun around. Tiffany was running up the block toward her. Jenny gaped at her. "How do you do that? Just appear like that wherever I am?" she asked as the girl caught up with her. 

Tiffany grinned. "I'm beginning to like this whole covert operations thing. At least, it impresses you." She laughed, and Jenny couldn't help but smile back at her. 

"So what are you doing then?" she asked, beginning to walk toward the gas station again. Tiffany strolled along beside her.

"Well, I was told to keep an eye on you, so I did. What are _you_ doing? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

Jenny walked in silence for a minute, then decided to go ahead and tell Tiffany. She could use her help. "I'm going to find Damian. He got this crazy notion that he could go fight the bad guys by himself."

Tiffany shook her head. "So then you got this crazy notion that you could go after him _by yourself._ Real smart, Jenny."

Jenny stopped and stared at Tiffany defiantly. "What did you want me to do? Let him go off and get himself killed while I sit helplessly at home? I don't think so."

Tiffany narrowed her eyes at Jenny. "Damian's a big boy. He can handle himself. The question is why are you so concerned about him. Is there something going on that I should know about?" She grabbed Jenny's shoulder as Jenny tried to walk away from her. "Jenny?" Her voice softened. "Tell me."

Jenny stared straight ahead, her jaw set, breathing deeply. "You wouldn't believe me."

A soft chuckle. "Jenny, I've been working with Circle Daybreak. I've seen enough crazy stuff to make any normal person go mad. I'll believe anything anymore."

Jenny sighed, then turned around and faced Tiffany. She swallowed. "Damian's… my soulmate." She stared at the ground as she felt her face flushing. When Tiffany didn't say anything, she looked up.

Tiffany stared at her, eyes widening slightly, but not in disbelief. "Well," she said softly. "That happens."

Jenny blinked. "That happens? What are you talking about?"

Tiffany placed an arm around Jenny's shoulders and hugged her tight. "I've seen quite a few soulmates in Daybreak. It's something very real. I know this must be tough for you, but you're _not_ the only one who's had to deal with it."

Surprise flooded Jenny's face. Tiffany must have seen it because she nodded. "Oh yes. Take for example, your idol."

"My…" Jenny stopped in mid-sentence, her eyes widening. "You mean The Cat?"

Tiffany nodded again. "Yes. Her real name's Rashel. She just found out last week that she has a soulmate, a vampire name John Quinn. Same as you."

Jenny's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Wow, I never would have thought… So what did this Rashel do about it?"

"Do? She didn't do anything. Jenny, being soulmates isn't something you can just get rid of. Once you've met your soulmate, that's it. In fact, I would say you're one of the lucky few. Most people go their whole lives and never meet their soulmate, never know what they're missing."

"Do you think… Does everybody have a soulmate?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know." Tiffany shook her head. "It would be nice to think so. Kind of gives us all something to hope for, don't you think?"

"Have you found yours?"

"No. And I don't suppose I ever will." Tiffany grabbed Jenny's hand and squeezed it, looking at her intently. "That's why you can't fight it, Jenny. It would be wrong for you, out of all of us who'll never find our soulmate, to meet that one person who's _meant_ for you and want to throw it away, to escape from it. Believe me. It's not something you _want_ to throw away."

Jenny pursed her lips. "Is it possible… to have _two_ soulmates?"

Unexpectedly, Tiffany laughed. When Jenny looked at her, confused, she explained. "Jenny, don't tell me you're getting greedy now. That's not how soulmates work. One. Only one."

Jenny nodded. "Alright." She stared at a crack in the sidewalk, deep in thought. If there could only be one, why was she having so much trouble forgetting about Michael? What was he then, if not her soulmate too? Shouldn't Damian have swept all thoughts of Michael out of her head at his first touch? What if… What if Damian wasn't really her soulmate. What if he was just… really close to being it. She would never know unless she found Damian and they rescued Michael. She sighed in frustration.

"Jenny?" 

She looked up, her body filling with resolve. "Do you know where Troy's club is?"

Tiffany blinked. "Do you think that's where Damian went?"

"Where else would he have gone?"

The color drained from Tiffany's face. "He wouldn't have. He would have gone to Troy's."

"Then I guess we're going to Troy's," Jenny said. "Let's go." She started walking, despite not knowing where to go, and Tiffany stopped her.

"Do you realize what we're getting into? We might not make it back out of there if we go in."

Jenny lifted her chin. "If what you say is true, then I don't _want_ to make it out of there if we don't get Damian back."

Tiffany nodded, her face still ashen. "Well, I hope you're all healed up then. Because we're going to need all the strength we've got."

***********

Tiffany stopped Jenny in the alley outside the entrance to the club. "Listen, we need to be as discreet about this as possible. If Troy finds out we're here, the game's over. We need to get in, find out if Damian's here, and get out again as quick as we can."

Jenny nodded. "Alright. Let's just do it." Her whole body felt charged with energy. She just wanted to start _doing something_. She was tired of waiting for things to happen. 

They stepped up to the door, and Tiffany gave the password. Jenny didn't understand the password; it seemed to be in a different language. But it didn't matter, because the door was opening to let them in. Loud, pulsing music poured into the alley. They stepped inside. 

Jenny's eyes took a minute to adjust to the darkness. The club wasn't nearly as full as it had been a few nights ago, probably because it was the middle of the day. Jenny noticed it did seem brighter, however. Funny, there weren't any more lights than before. Then she realized it must be an effect of Damian's blood. Was this how vampires really saw the room? If that was the case, then she hadn't been as hidden in the dark corner as she'd thought she'd been.

"Come on." Tiffany grabbed her arm and began dragging her to the other side of the room. 

"What do we do now?" Jenny called to her over the music. 

Tiffany stopped in the middle of the dance floor. "Dance."

"Dance?!"

Tiffany stopped dancing and looked at her. "Look around while you dance. See if you find anything. If we don't dance, then what are we doing here?"

Embarrassed, Jenny nodded. "Right," she muttered. She began dancing, scanning the room for any sign of Damian. She didn't see him, but she did see someone else. A blond, staring at her from the edge of the dance floor. When he noticed her looking at him, he grinned and began pushing through the crowd toward her.

"Uh, Tiffany. I think we've got company." 

"What?" Tiffany followed the line of Jenny's pointing finger. "Oh great. Well, play along for now."

"Play along? I don't know _how_ to play along!" 

The blond reached her then, grinning down at her. Jenny tried to smile at him but found it difficult. She never had been a very good flirt, especially with strangers – _fanged_ strangers.

"Hey baby," he cooed, wrapping an arm smoothly around her shoulders. "I couldn't help but notice you checking me out over there."

"Checking you out… Oh, is that what you thought was happening?" Jenny looked up at him innocently. Tiffany stopped dancing and gave her a warning look. Jenny couldn't help it. Was she supposed to go along with this jerk? 

He leaned closer to her, apparently not hearing a word she said. "I mean, I can understand _why_ you'd be checking me out. I just thought I'd come over and make things easier for you."

"Oh, you're right, I _was _checking you out." She smiled sweetly at him. "In fact, I was just thinking to myself, 'Look at that moron over there who thinks he can dance. I wonder how he got out of his cage today.'"

The boy's face flushed red and a hint of silver flashed in his eyes. "Hey, what's your problem?"

"My problem is people like you hitting on me when they obviously have no skills whatsoever in that area!"

"You want to say that to my face?"

Jenny couldn't help but grin. "I think I just did."

The boy sputtered, then spun on his heel and stomped off, throwing a glare over his shoulder at her. 

"Hey, good work. I've never been _that_ good at getting that jerk to leave me alone!" a tall, dark-haired girl nearby said, patting Jenny's shoulder. "Maybe he'll get a hint that he's totally clueless." She danced off with a laugh. 

Tiffany came up next to her and sighed. "Smooth, Jenny. Real smooth. Way to blend in." 

Jenny just stared at her helplessly, still smiling from the other girl's compliment. 

"But it was pretty good," Tiffany laughed. 

"Thanks." Jenny stopped dancing and sighed. "I don't see him. Do you?"

"No. How about this? Let's go…" Tiffany stopped.

Jenny turned to her. "Let's go where?"

Tiffany was staring across the room.

"What?" Jenny asked. 

"We… better get out of here. Fast." She pointed. 

Jenny looked in the direction Tiffany was pointing and her eyes widened. An enormous, muscular man was heading straight toward them. "Who is he?" she asked.

"He's Troy's right-hand man. And he's heading right for us." She turned to Jenny and grabbed her arm. "Run for the door! Now!"

They took off sprinting toward the door, pushing people out of the way as they went. Almost there, Jenny thought frantically. Almost. She risked a look behind her. The man was gaining on them. He didn't have to fight through the crowd; it parted in front of him like the Red Sea. He glared at her with an intensity that made Jenny's breath catch. 

She turned around again just in time to see someone fall at her feet. "No!" she cried as she tripped over the person, who had apparently been pushed by someone else. She fell to her hands and knees. "Tiffany!" She saw Tiffany reach the door and turn around. Her eyes widened, and she started toward Jenny.

Jenny scrambled back up to her feet just as a hand shot out and grabbed the back of her shirt, pulling her back. She screamed involuntarily. 

The man spun her around, and she kicked out at him. Although she made contact with his shin, he apparently didn't feel it. He grabbed her arm with his other hand, his grip cutting off the circulation in her hand. "Get her," he yelled, jerking his head toward the Tiffany.

Jenny watched as Tiffany's eyes widened and she pushed on the door to open it. The bouncer appeared at her side and knocked her to the ground. He pulled her back up and locked his arm around her neck. 

Jenny fought against her captor's grip. He looked down at her, his expression almost amused. 

"You're not going anywhere," he said in a deep, rolling voice. "Troy seeks an audience with you." He smiled at her, filling her heart with fear. "Let's go."


	22. chapter 22: troy

****

(Author's Note: Ah, finally, I got this chapter written… Sorry everybody who's been reading the story. I've had most of this chapter written for a while, but it wasn't quite done, and I refuse to put up a chapter that's not done. Anyway, my excuse isn't a very good one – I just wasn't in the mood to write anything for the longest time and I couldn't bring myself to do it. It happens every once in a while… Especially since I moved over the break and have been concerned about graduating in May. :-P Anyway, here's the next chapter finally.. And I promise I'll try not to take so long next time! What do you guys think of this chapter? Is it too much? I'd love to hear what you think!! Thanks for reading!)

*Chapter 22*

The man dragged her across the room toward the stairs they'd gone up last time. For once, Jenny used her brains and kept her mouth shut. Night people stared at her along the way, most with hatred. They obviously knew she was human. They passed the blonde that Jenny had insulted, and he bared his teeth at her, his eyes gleaming. Jenny had never felt so afraid for her life. 

Her eyes met Tiffany's. Fear swam through Tiffany's eyes, and Jenny suddenly felt guilty. This was all her fault. It had been her idea to come here, and she'd dragged Tiffany along with her. She shouldn't have told Tiffany where she was going. She should have come alone. 

They reached the stairs and Jenny watched helplessly as that black door grew closer. Well, she was finally going to meet this mysterious Troy. She only hoped she could get out of this alive. 

The muscle-bound man knocked twice on the door. The little window slid back and a pair of eyes looked out. "It's me," the man growled. The window slid shut again and the door opened. The same boy as before, Toby, stood there. He seemed nervous.

"H-Hello, sir." 

The man pushed Toby out of the way and pulled Jenny through the door. He dragged her through the waiting room to the black door on the other side, his fingers digging into her arm. Before he opened the door, however, he stopped and looked at Jenny menacingly.

"You cooperate, and Troy just might let you live. I suggest you keep your mouth shut." He opened the door and shoved her through it, sending her to her knees on the floor.

"Hey!" Jenny exclaimed instinctively. Tiffany skidded into the room behind her, and the man closed the door. Jenny stood, brushing off her knees, then gasped in surprise. The room was not at all like she'd expected. She'd thought it would be dark and foreboding, but it was exactly opposite. The walls and floors gleamed with pale white marble. A golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, its light diffused through hundreds of crystal shards that sent splashes of color around the room. In the center of the room, in front of a huge marble fireplace, was a giant glass table. Only it didn't look like a normal table - the glass seemed too thick, and a sort of gutter ran around the outside edge. Then it struck her - that was no table; it was an altar, and the "gutter" was probably meant to catch the blood. Her jaw dropped in dismay.

"So... one of the Executioners herself," a voice said softly behind her. Jenny spun around to see a man leaning against the wall. "I've always wanted to meet one of you. You're so ... fascinating." He detached himself from the shadows in the corner and moved gracefully toward her. Tiffany clutched Jenny's arm nervously, but Jenny couldn't tear her eyes from his striking features. He moved with a fluid grace, his feet seemingly never leaving the floor. 

He was not tall, being merely a few inches taller than Jenny. Although he appeared thin, Jenny could tell he was well-built and strong. White hair - pure white, like snow - fell softly around his shoulders, contrasting sharply with the black leather trenchcoat and red silk shirt he wore. A cruel smile twisted the corners of his full lips. What mesmerized Jenny, however, were his eyes. Dark red eyes, set against the pale creaminess of his skin, gazed at her. Eyes so dark they could almost be mistaken for black in the shadows. But in the light of the chandelier - those eyes were deep pools of blood that chilled Jenny to the bone.

He smiled. "Oh yes, I know who you are. I know all about you." He stopped in front of her and trailed a slim finger along her cheek. Jenny set her jaw and turned her head sharply away from him. He chuckled. "Yes, you are a feisty one. You'll do... quite well."

He spun away, waving an arm at the room. "Do you like my ... office? I decorated it myself."

Tiffany spoke for the first time. "You're Troy." A statement, not a question.

With another sweep of his arm, he bowed deeply. "But of course. The one. The only."

"What have you done with Damian?" Jenny asked.

He tilted his head sideways and gazed at her slyly. "What difference is it to you what I've done with Damian?"

Jenny pursed her lips, trying to keep her face expressionless even though Damian had said Troy knew about them. "I'd just like to know is all."

Troy nodded. "Don't worry about Damian. He's in safekeeping."

"What about the other Executioners. Where are they?" Jenny tried again.

Troy circled Jenny, caressing the surface of the altar gently with one hand. "Right to the point, just as I expected. You will find out in due time. Patience."

The familiar anger began burning in Jenny's stomach - the kind that usually got her in trouble. "Patience? My friends get kidnapped, I don't know if they're dead or alive, and all you can say is 'Patience'?"

"Jenny," Tiffany hissed.

Jenny waved her hand at her. "Let me tell you something," she spat at Troy as she walked toward him. "Patience is _not_ one of my virtues, especially when I'm being held hostage by some... dwarf... _albino_!" She triggered the wrist sheath, feeling comfort as its cold hardness pressed into her hand. 

Troy's smile wavered slightly, then faded altogether, but his voice remained calm. "You, vermin, know nothing about me. You are in no position to judge me, especially since I could kill you at will. Never again will you refer to me as that." He spoke as if he was ordering her, and she would obey.

Feeling braver with the weapon in her hand, Jenny walked up to him until they were separated by only a few inches. She stared up into his eyes, daring him to try something. "You look like just a bloodsucking white rat to me," she breathed. 

She knew it was a mistake as soon as she said it. His eyes began to glow, the ring of red seeming alive, writhing around the blackness of his pupil. "You are dumber than I thought you were," he said evenly.

At that moment, Jenny swung her knife hand up toward his throat. He caught her wrist in his hand, squeezing harder until she cried out and dropped the knife. He was so fast - she hadn't even seen him move. He twisted her arm until she fell to her knees in agony. Sheer burning pain raced up and down her arm, and tears filled her eyes. 

"Jenny!" Tiffany screamed and started toward her. One look from Troy stopped her in her tracks. 

He knelt down beside Jenny, still holding her arm on the verge of the breaking point. With his other hand, he caught her chin and forced her face upward. He gazed at her, his face expressionless. "How could you, a mere vermin, ever hope to defeat me. You are small and weak, and I am immortal and powerful. _I_ am your lord. Soon you will see that it is your fate to serve under me or die. Your God is nothing compared to me. You are alive only because I allow it. The sooner you learn that, the longer you may live."

Jenny stared at him helplessly. "You're crazy." She could see in his eyes that she had pushed him too far.

"I'm not crazy," he whispered. "I am ambitious. I will take what is mine. Death to anyone who gets in my way." He stared down at her for a minute, pushing her arm farther backwards and taking her breath away. Then, just as Jenny felt sure he was going to snap her arm, his face cleared and he released her. He pushed her across the room. "You will be joining your friends soon."

Chuckling, he turned and exited the room. Jenny lay on the floor gasping, her cheeks streaked with tears. She looked at Tiffany, who stared at her wide-eyed, face pale.

"I guess I should have kept my mouth shut," Jenny deadpanned.

A panicked laugh escaped Tiffany's lips. "What's going to happen to us?" She reached down and pulled Jenny to her feet.

Jenny shook her head. "I don't know, but I hope to God we don't see him again." 

The door opened and the man who had brought Jenny in entered. He grinned when he saw them. "Hello girls. Time for a little trip." 

Without warning, he slammed his gigantic fist against the side of Jenny's head.

Almost instantly, the world faded to black.

***********

When Jenny awoke, she couldn't see. For a moment, she bought a wave of sheer panic, gasping in breath. 

_Calm down!_ she ordered herself. _Panicking is not going to help. _She closed her eyes – not that it made much difference – and took a deep breath. How had she gotten herself in this mess? She'd gone to find Damian and managed to do nothing but get in more trouble. She hadn't even learned anything new – except that Troy was a certified loony.

"Jenny?" Tiffany's voice came from Jenny's left, very close.

She opened her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Jenny snorted. "Well, I'm as okay as I could be after being beaten to unconsciousness and then kidnapped. How about you?"

A sigh. "Headache. But I'll be alright. Where _are_ we?"

"Not a clue." Jenny realized her eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness a bit. She could make out Tiffany next to her, and the dim shape of the room they were sitting in. The floor beneath her was hard and cold to the touch, like metal. "What are we sitting here for? Let's see if there's a way out." She stood, gasping as her vision spun, then helped up Tiffany. 

She ran her hand along the wall. It was definitely metal. "Are we … in some kind of box?" she wondered out loud. 

"Jenny!" Tiffany waved at her from one wall. "Look at this!"

On the inside of the wall was a crack running down the middle. Air rushed in the crack, although very little light did. Two metal rods ran down either side of the crack.

"Oh my God," Jenny breathed. 

"We're in a truck!" Tiffany finished.

Jenny yanked on one of the rods. It wouldn't budge. "We're locked in here." She leaned against the side wall and slid down to the floor. She looked up at Tiffany. "Well, I don't know the first thing about how a truck car works, do you?"

Tiffany shook her head, looking downcast. She slid down beside Jenny. They fell silent for a few minutes, then Tiffany spoke.

"I wonder what Troy meant by all that lord stuff. Taking back what's his."

Jenny leaned against Tiffany, rubbing her sore arm. "You're in Daybreak. Don't you guys know anything about him?"

Tiffany shook her head. "No. It's the strangest thing. Nobody knows anything about Troy, just that he's excessively cruel."

Jenny nodded. "I don't understand why he didn't break my arm. I _know _I made him angry enough to do it." She looked at Tiffany. "I could see it in his eyes - he _wanted _ to do it, but he didn't."

"I guess you were just lucky," Tiffany said. 

"Yeah, I guess so." She nodded her head, but something inside her still felt uneasy. That just didn't seem like the right answer. Troy didn't strike her as the type who normally let people off with just a warning. "I need to find a new hobby," she muttered.

At that moment, an engine roared to life, and the floor vibrated. Tiffany stared at Jenny wide-eyed. "Where are they taking us?"

***********

The monotonous buzzing of the truck's engine lulled Jenny into a light doze. Her mind drifted aimlessly, images coming to her and gone again. 

Mari, being shoved in that van, and Jenny helpless to do anything about it.

Michael gazing down at her in the moonlight, concern written clearly across his face.

And Damian, that first day she'd met him in his house, the way he'd looked at her when her hat fell of and he discovered she was a girl. Hard to believe that was only last week. So much had happened since then. 

God, she hoped everyone was alright. She didn't know where she was being taken, but she would try her hardest to get back her friends. She owed them that much.

The shriek of the truck hitting its jake brakes jolted Jenny awake. She was leaning against the side of the truck, her knees pulled up to her chest. 

"Tiffany?" she whispered. 

"I'm here." A hand came out of the darkness and grabbed Jenny's. "Are you scared?"

Jenny paused. "Yes, I am," she said, nodding into the darkness.

"Me too," Tiffany said softly.

"Promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

Jenny stood, pulling Tiffany up with her. "We do whatever we can to get everybody back. We don't give into our fear. And if we fail, it's because we were beaten and not because we didn't try our hardest. Okay?"

Tiffany nodded. 

The door slid open then, spilling bright sunshine into the truck. Jenny blinked against the light, temporarily blinded. As her eyes adjusted, she could see two figures standing in the opening. 

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a rough voice asked. "Vermin and a cat. Didn't know you two could go together."

Jenny held her hand in front of her, trying to block some of the glare from the light. "Who are you? What do you want with us?"

The man stepped further into the truck, blocking out some of the light so Jenny could see him. His partner hung back. 

The man was big and burly, with arms as thick as Jenny's legs. He was built like a bulldog, with a large over-developed chest and tiny legs. Scars crisscrossed his face, distorting his expression so that he always looked angry and ready for a fight.

"Listen up, girly. You don't ask questions. You do what I say and that's it. You don't cause trouble and maybe we can be friends." He grinned at her, and Jenny noticed he was missing several teeth. 

She didn't feel like arguing. She was in no position to fight these guys in this small cramped space, and shooting off her big mouth would probably only cause her more pain. Instead, she nodded, gritting her teeth. 

The man beckoned her forward. She grabbed Tiffany's arm and approached him.

"Hold out your hands," he growled. Jenny opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again. Silently, she held out her hands. He pulled out a length of rope and wound it around her wrists. 

"Oh, come on," she couldn't help groaning.

The man scowled. "Take it up with the boss. His orders. I told him I could handle a couple of little girls, but he apparently didn't agree." Grumbling, he tied Tiffany's hands too. Jenny had to admire her bravery. She stood with her head held high, her face calm. She definitely had more control than Jenny, who was fighting the impulse to hit the man in the mouth and knock out a few more of those teeth. 

The man's partner stepped into the truck. He was tall and blond, and his face was cold. Jenny somehow felt the partner was the more dangerous of the two. The blonde patted his side, where a scabbard hung at his waist.

The first man snickered. "That means you try to run, he'll kill you with that sword of his. Saul don't talk much, but he means what he says." Saul just stared at them, eyes narrowed. 

Jenny risked a glance at Tiffany, meeting her eyes. Determination filled Tiffany's eyes, and she nodded imperceptibly. 

Scarface turned and stepped out of the truck. "Well, come on, we ain't got all day." Saul stood guard at the end of the truck until the girls stepped out. Sunlight poured down on them, and Jenny did a double-take as she got her first glimpse of where they'd been taken.

"A cemetery?" she exclaimed. She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. 

Scarface grinned his toothless grin. "Kinda cool, huh? The boss has a weird sense of humor."

"Who's your boss?" Tiffany asked. 

He opened his mouth, but closed it again at a shake of the head from Saul. "Hey, what did I tell you about questions?"  
Jenny rolled her eyes. "You think we seriously buy your big, bad bully man impression? Even I can tell just by looking at you that you're just a hunk of brainless meat to be bossed around by other people. So why don't you just quit it."

Color rose on the man's face, and he sputtered. "Why you…" He stopped, gritting his teeth. "Come on! I'm tired of standing here." He turned and marched off down the path. 

Saul turned away from Jenny, but not before she saw a flash of amusement cross his face. He turned back to her, his face serious again, and shoved her in Scarface's direction. 

"Alright, alright," she muttered. She and Tiffany followed, picking their way down a path strewn with rocks and holes. She surveyed her surroundings as they walked. They were indeed in a cemetery, but a very old one. Headstones were small and smooth, their words washed away with time. In the distance, she could see an overgrown wrought iron fence surrounding the cemetery. A thick wall of trees pushed at the fence, as if trying to get inside. The only sound was their footsteps crunching in the grass and the wind whistling through the bars of the fence. Wherever this cemetery was, it had apparently been forgotten long ago. 

Jenny walked alongside Tiffany, their arms brushing occasionally. After a few minutes of walking, an idea popped into Jenny's head. Keeping her head down, she elbowed Tiffany's arm and jerked her head in the direction they were walking. Tiffany raised her eyes, then looked at Jenny with understanding. 

They slowed their footsteps, allowing Scarface to get farther ahead of them. The path sloped uphill and when they reached the top of the hill, they stopped. 

Saul came up next to Jenny, his hand on his sword handle. "Why are you stopping?" he asked, his voice amazingly high-pitched for such a big man.

Jenny bit her lip, trying not to laugh. No wonder he didn't talk much. Scarface continued walking, no clue that anything was happening.

"My … my leg cramped. I just need to stop a second."

Saul stared at her suspiciously. Jenny held out her leg and rotated her foot around. "Oh, that's better," she said, looking at her foot. When Saul glanced down at her foot, Jenny rushed at him. She lowered her head and hit him in the stomach, while Tiffany ran around behind him and tripped him as he stepped backward. He fell to the ground and somersaulted down the side of the hill. 

"Come on, Jenny!" Tiffany hissed, already heading down the other side of the hill.

But Jenny stayed, watching Saul going down the hill, his feet kicking up over his head. If he got right back up again, they were done for. Saul reached the bottom of the hill and slid to a stop, hitting his head on the stone step ledge of a tomb. He fell still, his body motionless. Triumph welled up inside Jenny and she clenched her fists in victory. "Yes!" She hadn't planned that, but it worked out well.

Scarface had finally realized they weren't behind him and was stumbling his way awkwardly back up the hill. "Hey, you! Stop!" he yelled, his face red. 

"First you have to catch us, you jerk!" Jenny yelled at him. Tiffany still stood just below the crest of the hill, watching her. 

"What now?" she yelled.

"Run!"


	23. chapter 23: betrayal

****

(Author's Note: I just want to thank everyone who's been reading (leaving reviews or not). It really means a lot to me that you guys have stuck to the story, despite the fact that I'm a slacker who only updates once in a blue moon. Thank you. It means I'm not doing this for nothing. This story _will_ get done! J )

*Chapter 23*

The sound of Jenny's footfalls in the grass was all she could hear over the roaring in her ears. She raced through the cemetery, eyes focused on Tiffany, who ran ahead of her. Neither of them bothered going around the gravestones; they hurdled them instead. Jenny could see the fence about 50 feet ahead, drawing nearer.

_The fence_, she thought wildly. _Just get to the fence. _What would happen after they got to the fence, she didn't know. She wasn't thinking that far ahead. All she knew was if they got to the fence, they could escape the cemetery.

Shouting echoed from somewhere behind her, and Jenny picked up the pace. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, but she ignored it, trying to keep up with Tiffany, who was admittedly much faster. If only her hands weren't tied. She might be able to run faster. 

She leapt over the broken-off head of an angel lying buried in the grass and weeds, then skidded to a stop.

"Tiffany!" she called. She rushed to the headstone next to the angel's head, where a broken slab of marble jutted in the sky, its razor-sharp edge gleaming. She sawed the rope quickly across the marble. At the fourth pass, the rope snapped.

_Ah, blessed freedom_, Jenny's arms seemed to sigh as stretched. Running with tied hands only produced rope burns, Jenny realized. 

She whirled around, her face shining and her arms beginning to raise triumphantly. 

"Tiffany, it worked!" she began, then froze. 

A man had suddenly jumped out behind Tiffany, who had turned to look at Jenny.

"Behind you!" Jenny screamed.

Tiffany's eyes widened, and she spun around, bringing up her leg as she turned and smashing the man square in the chest with her heel. He gasped and stumbled backward, then reached for Tiffany. She kicked at him again, then took off between the two tombs the man had been hiding behind. 

"Run, Jenny!" she yelled as she went.

"Tiffany, no!" Jenny started after her, but the man, getting off the ground dazedly, fixed his gaze on her and grinned, running his tongue over sharp teeth.

"Dammit," she muttered and took off in the other direction.

The next ten minutes were a blur of running and hiding. Apparently, Scarface had gotten some help, because Night people suddenly appeared at every corner. Jenny threw out her old plan of sprinting for the shelter of the trees. Instead, she had to slink from tomb to tomb, making sure no one was in sight before she dashed to the next one. She hadn't heard Tiffany in a while. She hoped she'd gotten out alright. 

Somehow, Jenny found herself back on top of the hill where they'd started. She stopped and looked around in disbelief. 

"This is insane!" she thought out loud. How had she managed that?

A voice echoed suddenly through the cemetery. "Bring her over here!"

Jenny gasped and threw herself to the ground.

"Where's the other one?" the voice called again. 

Jenny crawled over to a headstone and peeked over the top of it. From her vantage point, she could see Scarface walking away from a crumbling chapel hidden in the shade of a stand of pine trees. He was talking and waving his hands at someone Jenny couldn't see. The other person must be on the other side of the huge mausoleum about 100 feet from the chapel, Jenny decided. The other person said something Jenny couldn't quite hear.

Then, Tiffany appeared from the other side of the mausoleum, her head down. "No!" Jenny whispered. She pounded her fist into the ground. If only Jenny hadn't stopped to cut her ropes. They'd been so close. And now Tiffany was back in their possession again. She rested her forehead against the cool marble of the headstone and closed her eyes. 

What now? _Think, Jenny!_ she ordered herself. She lifted her head and looked toward the chapel again … and felt her heart stop as she saw who was behind Tiffany. 

"No," she choked out. Her face flushed alternately hot and cold, and breathing suddenly became impossible, as if someone had grabbed her lungs in their hands and squeezed. Her mouth opened and closed helplessly.

__

It can't be, her mind shouted. _That's impossible! _ Her eyes burned as she stared at the familiar dark head pushing Tiffany along. _It has to be a mistake_.

But just at that moment, he turned his head in her direction, and she caught a clear – painfully clear – glimpse of his face before he entered the chapel and disappeared from sight. 

Jenny collapsed into the grass, feeling like she was dying. Her whole body reverberated with one word: Betrayed!

She didn't know how long she lay there, still with disbelief. The sun beat down on her already warm face, and her fingertips and cheeks tingled. When she brought her hand to her cheek, it came away wet with tears. 

She stared into the cloudless sky, not really seeing it. Her mind painfully replayed that moment she had glanced over the tombstone and seen him, seen _Damian_, herding Tiffany toward the crumbling church.

_Betrayed_, she thought again numbly. _I trusted him. I went against every instinct to trust him. What was I thinking? _She had let him take her blood, twice! She had believed him when he had told her he left for her own good. It had been nothing but a lie. 

And at the same time: _How could he? We're soulmates. How could he do this to me? How could he _physically_ do it?_

At that moment, lying in the tall grass with the October sun beating on her face, Jenny realized just how much she'd given in, had accepted Damian as her soulmate. Faced with this betrayal, Jenny felt nothing but pain and aching. She suddenly wanted nothing more than Damian to be here, in her arms, to tell her it was alright, that he hadn't really gone over to Troy's side. And now that she admitted to herself how she really felt about Damian, it was all wrenched away. It could never be. Her heart felt empty, like someone had ripped a hole in it and everything she'd ever felt or believed was pouring out to be lost forever. 

She hugged her arms around herself and closed her eyes, blinking away tears. She suddenly felt very tired… 

***********

When Jenny opened her eyes again, the pain was gone. Instead, a hollow burning ate at her insides. Damian would pay for this, she thought. She wouldn't let him get away with playing her and her friends like that. 

_But why?_ a small voice inside her asked. _Why would he do that to begin with?_

_Shut up_, she growled at it. _Hell, he's probably the one who told Hunter where we were so my friends could be taken._ The anger had taken over, and it wasn't willing her to sit here and ponder why. 

She hopped to her feet. She had to get her friends back.

She bounded carelessly down the hill, slowing only when she reached the stand of trees surrounding the chapel. There, she stopped and looked around. 

It was quiet. Too quiet. Had they given up on finding her so easily? The wind whistled through the treetops, giving Jenny goosebumps. She stood tensely, examining the chapel. It was very old, its limestone walls crumbling and slabs lying on the ground at its base. The roof was almost completely gone. Jenny walked cautiously toward it, her footsteps muffled on the spongy bed of pine needles covering the ground.

She couldn't see anything but shadows through the open door as she walked closer. Still, the breeze blew through her hair and a chill raced down her spine. What were they doing in a place like this?

With a nervous swallow, she stepped inside. The room was cool and smelled like mold. Nothing remained of its old function – no benches or tables or anything. Rather, dirt and rocks covered the broken up floor. A few windows remained in the far wall, the stained glass showing scenes of the crucifixion. Jenny rubbed her arms nervously. She had a very bad feeling about this. 

A hole in the floor gaped up at her from the back of the room. She instinctively headed toward it. Before she got there, however, she heard voices outside. She froze.

"Lost her? How could you have lost her?" The voice was rich and smooth like silk. Jenny recognized it instantly, despite having heard it only once before. 

"Great," she muttered. She was now stuck in some abandoned church with Hunter Redfern right outside. Maybe they wouldn't come inside.

Whoever Hunter was talking to said something back in a low voice that Jenny couldn't hear. Apparently, Hunter didn't like the answer.

"I brought you in on this because I thought you were capable," Hunter said, his voice low and menacing. "You've built quite a name for yourself, Troy. If you don't find her soon, I'm going to have to re-evaluate my opinion of you. And believe me, you don't want that."

Jenny's breath caught. Troy. Somehow, the thought of Troy outside the church frightened her more than Hunter. Hunter at least had emotions, which meant he had weaknesses. Troy was ice cold and controlled. Jenny knew instinctively that the small display of anger she'd seen in Troy at the club had most likely been a one-time thing. Jenny thought she might be able to handle Hunter, but Troy… Calling Troy evil was probably an understatement. 

"Sir, might I suggest you not underestimate her or her friends," Troy said. He kept his voice low and submissive, but Jenny sensed an undertone of derision running beneath it. If Hunter sensed it too, he chose to ignore it.

Hunter chuckled, but his voice was humorless. "I assure you, Troy, if you're scared of the little vermin girl, I'll send someone else to replace you."

"No, sir," Troy said. "I'll find her."

"Good. Do it soon." 

Jenny heard footsteps coming closer to the door and looked around frantically for a place to hide. Behind her, she saw a hole in the wall at about ground level, and she dove at it. She pulled herself through it just as Hunter stepped inside. Lying on her stomach, she slowly peered back through the hole. Hunter had paused just inside. He turned back to the door. 

"And Troy, get some others to help you."

From this angle, Jenny could just see Troy through the doorway. He wore the same clothes he'd been wearing earlier, but he had pulled his long white hair back with a red velvet ribbon. He stared at Hunter, his face expressionless.

"Of course."

Hunter nodded, and turned his back on Troy. He began walking in Jenny's direction, and she pulled her face back quickly. She had enough time, however, to see Troy's face after Hunter had turned. The docile, subservient expression had disappeared, and a slow, secretive smile had slid across his face. His eyes narrowed at Hunter's back. 

Jenny sat with her back to the wall, wondering about that. For a moment, Troy had looked like the cat who ate the canary. He was up to something, she was sure of it. 

Hunter passed by the hole Jenny sat next to. Cautiously, she peeked inside again, just in time to see him disappearing down the hole in the ground. She could hear Troy's footsteps fading in the opposite direction, so she slid back through the hole, ignoring the dirt being caked on her shirt.

She walked slowly to the hole in the ground and peered down. Although it was dark, the light filtering through the roof of the chapel let Jenny see a packed dirt floor about 10 feet down and a ladder attached to one wall. It was a tunnel. She looked around the chapel one more time, stalling. She didn't want to go down there.

What are you waiting for? the voice inside her asked. Not like there's anybody else who can help you. It's up to you now. 

She sighed, nodding at herself. She got to her knees and stuck a foot on the ladder. It was metal, solid. "Well, here I go," she muttered, and climbed the rest of the way into the darkness. 


	24. chapter 24: underground

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(Author's note: Now, now, people, don't have a heart attack or anything.. Yes, I actually wrote another chapter less than a week after the previous one! lol. I know, you're surprised, because it hasn't been like two months yet. Well, I shouldn't have taken the time to write because I have a paper and three tests next week, but I'm really feeling into the story right now. I haven't felt this in tune with it for a while, so I figured I'd better go with it. I hope you all like this chapter! Thank you everyone who's been reviewing (most recently: especially Mandy for reviewing *every* chapter, and Orange for making me feel so good about the last chapter – not to leave the rest of you out… I love you too. lol)! I worship you all!)

*Chapter 24*

Jenny stood for a moment in the circle of light at the bottom of the ladder. She could see nothing down the tunnel, no hint of what might be there. She knew she had to go, but her body was screaming at her not to, that she might not make it back out again. Her feet felt rooted to the floor.

Don't be ridiculous, she told herself. If the tunnel was dangerous, Hunter wouldn't have gone down there. 

Maybe not dangerous for _him_, the snide little inner voice pointed out.

But if she didn't go, her friends might die, if they weren't already dead. She couldn't risk that. Uneasily, she set off down the tunnel.

Darkness swallowed her after she had crept ten feet down the tunnel. She found her way by feeling her hands along the wall. The tunnel was cold and damp, making her shiver after the warmth of the sun. The floor was made of packed dirt and the sides and low ceiling shored up with wood and metal bracings. Too small to be an abandoned mine shaft, Jenny thought. And anyway, why would a mine shaft lead to a cemetery?

_Don't they have any freaking lights down here?_ Jenny scowled to herself as she tripped over a rock in the path for the third time. _Then again, most people were probably smart enough to bring a flashlight or something._

After she'd stumbled her way along for almost ten minutes, the ground began sloping sharply downward – so sharp that someone had placed stones in the dirt to act as steps. Her unease grew. The sense of the tons of earth above her weighed down on her. She never had liked enclosed spaces. She kept glancing nervously at the ceiling, although she couldn't see it in the darkness. What if it caved in? She would be trapped down here where no one would find her. And if the cave-in didn't kill her, suffocation would as she used the last of the air… 

_Oh, stop it_, she scolded herself. _Nothing is going to happen. It's just a tunnel._ She should be more worried about what she would find at the end. 

Jenny automatically felt for the knife usually at her wrist. The empty sheath made her realize just how unprepared she was. What was she going to do when she ran into someone, make faces at them? She wasn't even at all threatening in appearance. She still had Damian's blood in her, which made her a little stronger, but it wouldn't be enough. 

She sighed and slid down to sit on the floor. What was she thinking? She should have at least gone for some weapons or something before she came barging down here. Even a stick would be better than nothing. And maybe Aislinn could have helped her. Whatever was going to happen wasn't until Halloween, three days away. The others would be safe until then, assuming they were still alive now. No point in getting herself killed needlessly – that wouldn't help the others at all.

Yeah, that's what she'd do. She'd go get more help. She had started back up the tunnel when voices echoed toward her.

"What are you going to tell Hunter, Troy?" a voice asked. Jenny recognized Scarface's gravelly drawl.

"That's none of your business, Leon. Now please, shut up." Although Troy's words were angry, his voice sounded calm and even … and getting closer. She could see a dim light approaching down the tunnel.

Jenny swore under her breath. So much for reinforcements. She took off down the tunnel as fast as she could without falling on her face. Luckily, it appeared Troy was taking his time.

The cavern came as a surprise. She had been paying so much attention to the men behind her that she hadn't noticed the tunnel growing lighter. She burst out of the tunnel into a large open space and skidded to a stop. Fortunately, no Night people were there to see her. She stood gaping at the high ceiling and stalagmites hanging from it like giant icicles. In some places, the ground had risen up to meet the ceiling, forming natural columns. Lanterns hung from a few of these, spilling a yellow light over the room. Jenny could hear water dripping although she couldn't see it. 

"Jenny," a voice hissed. For the first time, she noticed a cage standing against one wall, a dark figure leaning against the bars.

"Tiffany!" Jenny rushed over to her. Tiffany looked terrible. Deep, gaping scratches covered her arms and a bruise the size of Jenny's fist covered one side of her forehead. Blood dripped from a wound in her leg. "Are you alright?" she gasped.

Tiffany flashed a quick smile at her. "I'll be fine. I gave them hell, though. Took three of them to get me." She grinned mischievously. "I don't think one of them is coming back. If that bastard hadn't hit me on the head …" She touched the bruise gingerly.

"Oh, Tiffany. I'm so sorry!" Jenny cried, grabbing one of Tiffany's hands. "It's my fault you're here."

Tiffany shook her head. "No way. I'm here because I wanted to be here. I followed _you_, remember?"

"But …"

Tiffany held up a hand to silence her. "No buts. It's not your fault. Besides, I always said I wanted more exciting assignments."

Jenny nodded miserably. "How do you unlock this thing?" She had been circling the cage, looking for a lock or door or something, but the cage seemed to be without a door.

"It's underneath." Tiffany pointed. "But you won't be able to open it without the key."

Jenny noticed the cage was on wheels. Of course. They wouldn't just leave Tiffany here in this room. She knelt down and peered underneath. There, she could see it now. A keyhole along one side. She stood, frustrated. 

"Do you have anything to pick the lock with?" Tiffany shook her head. "Me either. Who has the key?"

"I don't know. Probably Hunter." Tiffany leaned against the back of the cage and crossed her arms over her chest, a dejected look on her face. 

"Did they say where they're keeping the others?"

Tiffany shook her head again. "They were careful not say anything around me. I would assume down that way since it's the only way to go." She nodded behind Jenny, and Jenny turned. Another, smaller tunnel led away from the first tunnel. 

"Great," she muttered, then turned back to Tiffany. "I'm going to try to find the key and maybe the others. But I _promise _you, I'll be back for you."

Tiffany nodded. "Be careful. They're everywhere."

"I will." She turned to go, but Tiffany stopped her. 

"Jenny," she called. Jenny turned back to her. Tiffany leaned her forehead against the bars and gazed down at Jenny. "Damian's here," she said quietly. "Working with them. I just thought you should know."

Jenny stared at Tiffany for a moment, a knot trying to reform in her throat. She nodded. "I know," she said sadly, turning away before Tiffany could see the shimmer of tears forming in her eyes.

"Okay, so I'll wait here for you," Tiffany called as Jenny jogged down the other tunnel.

***********

This tunnel was much shorter, more like a hallway. When it opened into another cavern, Jenny was prepared for it. She stopped in the shadows at the end and peered out. Two men – they looked like werewolves – stood guard in the middle of the room. Jenny listened for moment. 

"Do you think Troy will get that other girl?" one asked, leaning against a rock column. His voice carried easily through the cavern.

The other shook shaggy blond hair out of his eyes. "I hope not. The longer it takes him to get her, the longer we won't have to see him."

The first one, a brunette, nodded. "No kidding. That guy gives me the creeps. When he looks at me, it's like he can see right inside me. I don't know why Hunter keeps him around. He's trouble."

The blonde snorted. "Because Hunter doesn't like to get his precious hands dirty. Troy does the dirty stuff for him." The blonde had been picking at his fingernails but now leaned conspiratorially toward the brunette. Jenny took the opportunity to slink out of the tunnel and hide behind a column across from them. 

"You know what I heard? Before Hunter changed him, Troy was some knight in France or Italy or something, back in like the 17th century. And people called him the Blood Prince because of the brutal ways he killed people." The blonde leaned back, satisfied at the shock on the brunette's face. 

"No way!" the brunette exclaimed. "He was nobility?" Something clicked in Jenny's mind but she couldn't quite focus on it, so she pushed it aside. 

The blonde nodded. "Apparently Hunter liked his tactics, so he changed him."

"Well, I wish Hunter would have just left him alone," the brunette muttered.

At that moment, someone spoke from the tunnel Jenny had just left. "You two! Are you just going to leave that panther up there or what?" Troy stepped into the room. Jenny gasped and ducked further behind the column. She'd completely forgotten he had been behind her. The two werewolves immediately straightened and stood at attention. 

"N-No, sir. We were just about to take her to the dungeon," the blonde stammered, his face red. 

Troy nodded, gazing at them with eyes narrowed. The light from the lanterns shone on his red eyes, making them seem to glow with an unearthly fire. The deep red silk shirt only added to the effect. "Well, quit fooling around and go get her."

The two werewolves nodded furiously and almost ran down the hallway.

"Mutts," Jenny heard Troy breathe. He glanced around the room and stopped on the column hiding Jenny. Jenny flattened herself against it, holding her breath. Her heart pounded loudly against her chest. Couldn't he hear that?

_Please don't look behind here_, she begged in her mind. _Please_.

He didn't. He frowned and headed down another tunnel across the room. It was just a network of caverns and tunnels down here, Jenny realized. Perfect for hiding in.

When Troy vanished from sight, Jenny released her breath and sank to her knees. So much for the nerves of steel she usually had. She held up a shaky hand and stared at it. So far she'd been nothing but a basketcase around Troy.

A basketcase that had better get going before those 'wolves come back, a voice in her mind said. 

Right, she told herself. Be brave. 

She stood again and stepped into the cavern, looking around. Three tunnels led away from the cavern and the tunnel she'd come in. 

Great. Which one? she thought. Troy had gone down the right one, so she knew she didn't want that one.

The one on the left angled downward. The 'wolves had said something about a dungeon, and weren't dungeons always at the bottom? She started down the left tunnel.

It continued downward for what seemed like an eternity. Jenny began having second thoughts. What if this is the wrong one? What if it doesn't lead anywhere, just keeps going down and down? She had almost decided to turn around when she saw a light ahead. She rushed to the end, stepping out of the tunnel after checking for Night people.

She gasped. This cavern was huge, bigger than the first one. And scattered around the room were doors set into the walls. Heavy metal doors with sliding windows in them. Jenny counted quickly in her head. Forty. There were at least 40 doors here. Was this the dungeon?

Breathing shallowly, she walked to the door closest to her and pushed back the window. The room inside was small, with a pile of straw in one corner and a basin of water in another. A girl sat huddled in the corner, her dark hair cascading around her face like a waterfall. Jenny shut the window and stepped back, wide-eyed. 

"What is going on here?" she whispered.

Just then, a hand fell on her shoulder. She spun around, a scream lodged in her throat. Her eyes met another pair, impossible blue ringed with violet.

"Damian!" she gasped. 


	25. chapter 25: trapped

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(Author's Note: I think I'm gonna start doing what other people do and reply to reviews here. 'Cause I never do, and it would be the nice thing to do, I think, since you guys are all so great. So…

Mandy: If you haven't notice, I always end in cliffhangers… They just seem the best way to end chapters and keep people reading to me. lol. And thanks for reviewing, as usual!

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Orange: See above comment on cliffhangers. lol. But, I've updated a little quicker than usual, and I'm still feeling the story, so… That's good, right? 

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Katelyn: Thanks! And I will…

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Redaura: Is Damian a traitor? Well, I don't know.. (actually, I do, but not saying, hehe). I'm glad you're liking the story though. Hopefully you'll keep reading until I do reveal if he's a traitor or not (and that's not for a while).

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On with the next chapter… Let me know what you think, especially about the last part, if it's too cheesy, etc.)

*Chapter 25*

Jenny stared at Damian, her eyes suddenly blurry with hot tears. She blinked them away furiously. A cry burst from her throat.

"How could you?"

Damian gazed at her, his face expressionless. The only clue that he felt any emotion at that moment was the color of his eyes. The violet had swallowed up the blue. Jenny had seen that happen before – when Damian had told her about Elizabeth, when he had been full of sadness and pain. They didn't turn dark with anger, she'd discovered. 

"How could you?" she repeated more softly. Her voice sounded harsh and hurt.

He blinked and opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, though, the anger, hurt, and betrayal she had been storing inside herself for the last hour or so reached the pressure point. 

Jenny slapped him, hard and square across the cheek. A red hand blossomed quickly on his face, and he flinched.

She glowered at him, shaking her head. "I trusted you! We _all_ trusted you! I could have killed you at any time, but I didn't. I gave you a chance even though it went against everything I believed. And this is how you pay me back…" She smiled regretfully and turned from him. She couldn't look at him anymore. "You're no better than the rest of them," she said softly. "I don't care if you're my soulmate – I never want to see you again." Her voice cracked and she broke into uncontrollable sobs. She collapsed to her knees on the dirt floor, her heart an aching, raw wound in her chest. "You better kill me right now, because if you don't, I'll kill you," she whispered. She stared at the ground, wiping angrily at the tears rolling down her face. She suddenly felt furious at herself for breaking down so easily in front of him. She hadn't meant to… But after seeing him… Her hurt suddenly became too much to bear.

Damian knelt in front of her, pushing up the sleeves of the black leather jacket he wore. Jenny stared at his hands in the dirt, unwilling to let herself look up. She pushed away a strand of blond hair that had plastered itself to the trail of tears glistening on her cheek.

"Jenny," he whispered.

She couldn't help it. She looked up, meeting his eyes. He held her gaze, his mouth set in a tight line. His pale skin stood out more than usual against the dark violet swimming in his eyes. A strand of soft dark hair hung across one eye, and he swiped at it without taking his eyes from her. Jenny felt as if his gaze was piercing straight into her soul.

"I…" he began, but just at that moment a voice echoed down the corridor. They both glanced in that direction automatically. When Jenny faced Damian again, her heart sank. Still staring down the tunnel, his expression hardened and his jaw clenched tight.

"Damian?" she whispered.

He turned to her, narrowing steely eyes at her. Blue began swirling into the violet again. He smiled, purposely revealing his extended teeth. "I think you better start running, Jenny," he growled, his voice cold.

She backed away from him, surprised. "Wh – What?" She looked around the cavern. Absolutely nothing in the way of a weapon or anything to help her. Just cold metal prison doors. "Damian, wait a minute… Can't we just talk about this?"

He advanced on her, determination written across his face. The voices in the tunnel drew closer, and Damian glanced toward them again. Jenny used that moment to kick out at him. Her foot connected squarely in his chest, and he stumbled backwards. His eyes widened, then narrowed to slits. 

"You can't hide from us any longer," he said in a loud voice. 

Anger flared through Jenny's blood, burning away the last of the hurt. Damian was as good as dead to her now. Any remaining feelings for him vanished with the anger. 

"Fine. You want to play it that way, you can have it that way," she spat. She flew at him, kicking and punching. Her movements still felt faster than usual to her. Good. She might as well get something worthwhile out of sharing blood with Damian. She kicked her foot up at his head and he grabbed her ankle, spinning her in the air. She landed flat on her back, her lungs collapsing as air rushed out. 

"Dammit!" she swore with her remaining breath. She rolled to the side, using her leg to knock Damian off his feet. He fell to the ground beside her. She sat on his stomach and pinned her arm across his throat. He gagged and gasped for air. She stared down at him. "You asked for it," she whispered.

For a moment, his eyes stared off into the distance as if deep in thought. Then he looked at her and bared his teeth again. With a roar, he pushed her off of him and stood. She hit the ground and jumped to her feet. 

"You have no idea what you're up against, Jenny," he roared. In a softer voice, he said, "You can't beat me, Jenny. You better run."

He stood, glowering at her, but didn't move to attack her again. Confused, she considered her options. She could stay here, fight with Damian, and risk being killed. Or she could run and hope to get some help, or at least some kind of weapon. 

She turned to run.

She took two steps toward the tunnel and stopped as a figure stepped into the room. Hunter Redfern smiled broadly and began clapping. 

"Bravo, Silverwind. You've caught the wild beast, at last." He chuckled, shaking blood red hair out of golden hawk-like eyes. "I admit, I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to track her down." 

Jenny glanced at Damian. He stood stiffly, holding his chin high as he faced Hunter. Something like pleasure crossed his face. She scowled at him. 

Hunter turned to Jenny. "And you, my dear. You put up quite a chase, I'll give you that. But now, sadly, your game is up." He smiled, immensely satisfied with himself. 

Jenny clenched her fists, tempted to run at him and take him by surprise. She fought the urge instead. Hunter was much stronger than her, and she didn't know what Damian would do either. "You son of a bitch," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at him. 

His smile widened, and he started walking toward her. "Now, now, no need for name-calling." It took every ounce of Jenny's strength to not back away from him as he approached. He stopped only a few feet from her and gazed down at her. His expression seemed amused, but Jenny could see something darker swimming in the depths of his eyes. Something that told her to tread lightly despite his light mood.

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked. 

"That I cannot tell," he said evenly. "But I assure you, you'll have a fair, sporting chance to make it out of here alive."

Jenny took a step toward him. "You're lying." Hunter's eyes flickered, but he kept his smile. Jenny continued. "I don't know what you have planned, but I know there is no way you'd let me, or any of us, out of here alive if you could help it."

A corner of his mouth twitched. "Perhaps. You'll find out for sure soon enough." He turned to Damian and waved a hand at Jenny. "Take care of her. I'm through _chatting_." He strode into the tunnel and disappeared in the darkness. 

A hand fell on Jenny's shoulder. She turned to Damian, who suddenly gripped a sharp-looking dagger in one hand. He held it to her throat, his face grim. 

"Come on." He motioned toward the back of the room with his free hand.

Jenny clenched her jaw and moved in that direction. "So what is it, Damian?" she asked as she walked, trying to ignore the sharp point at her throat. "Money? Is Hunter paying you to sell out? Glory? Power? What? What could possibly be worth working for him?"

Damian scowled. "I don't work _for_ Hunter. I don't work for anybody. I do what _I_ want to do."

"Right," Jenny scoffed. "Of course."

They reached a door standing open toward the back of the room, and Damian motioned her into it. She went, reluctantly. The room was identical to the one she'd looked in on earlier. A bed of straw in one corner, a pail of water in another. A lantern glowed behind a plastic panel set into the rock wall, creating a circle of light in the room. Jenny stopped in the center of the room and turned around. 

Damian stood in the doorway, staring at her. The light from the lantern illuminated his cheekbones, making his eyes seem to hide in a hollow in his face. His dark hair fell carelessly across his forehead, and the corners of his mouth tugged down in a frown. He suddenly looked very young. Jenny felt the urge to run to him and throw her arms around him. He would pull her to him in a tight embrace, kiss her forehead, tell her everything was going to be okay. They would be together, soulmates. 

_Yeah, right_, she thought. _And then he'd stab me in the back._.

She gazed back at him, torn between trying to talk sense into him and insulting him. Finally, he looked away, turning his eyes to the ground for a moment.

"They'll bring you food every day. You won't starve. And on Halloween…" He stopped himself and turned to go. "Never mind. Be smart, Jenny." Without looking back at her, he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Jenny could hear latches being turned, then his footsteps faded away.

And then she was alone. 

***********

At first, Jenny just stood in the center of the room, gazing blankly at the door, which she realized was wood on the inside. She was trapped. She was locked in a little room, hundreds of feet underground, held hostage by who knew how many members of the Night World population. She was alone and unarmed. 

She was completely, utterly helpless. 

A cry escaped her throat. "No," she said. "No, this is _not_ happening." 

But it was happening, and there was no way out of it. Jenny had failed to save her friends, failed even to save herself. So much for leader material, her mind lamented. After Halloween, there wouldn't be any Executioners to lead, much less to belong to. 

Why hadn't she gone for help before coming down here? Why had she allowed her thinking to be fogged by Damian and his soulmate mind-talk? Why had she been so _stupid_? 

She had always been that way, she realized. Leaping headfirst into danger and thinking about it after it had already started. 

She moved to the corner of the room and slid down onto the pile of straw, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them. She felt suddenly depressed.

_I thought by being brave and tough, I could make up for everything else I lacked_, she thought, really considering herself for the first time in ages. _But I'm not as good as I've pretended to be._

Jenny had never been very popular in school. Sure, people liked her well enough, but she had never been able to capture the attention of her classmates like girls like Raina. Raina could walk into a room, toss her gorgeous red hair around, and everybody in the room would turn to look at her. Jenny had envied Raina for that. How she longed to be beautiful, and not just ordinary. 

She had never had the courage to tell Michael how she felt, because she had been afraid of what he might think. Michael deserved someone beautiful, like Raina or Ashton, she had always told herself. Jenny had contented herself to being his friend and maybe impressing him with vampire kills. 

And now, she couldn't even manage to keep herself out of trouble. She had allowed Damian to get inside her, to touch that part of her that had longed to be touched, to be desired. She had been thinking with her heart the last few days, not her brain. And it had cost her the lives of everybody she cared about. 

She sighed, a frown creasing the corners of her mouth. How they must hate her now for screwing everything up.

_Jennifer Marie Carlson_, the part of her that still felt brave shouted at her. _What kind of thinking is that? Quit feeling sorry for yourself. None of this was your fault. You tried. Just because you're here in this room doesn't mean you should stop trying._

She nodded to herself. Her old instructor Daniel's grizzly voice came back to her then. "Sometimes it seems that all options are gone and you should give up," he had told her. "But it's times like that when you can reach inside yourself and find more strength than you ever knew you had."

She had replied, "Oh, you mean 'Adversity makes you stronger?'" Daniel had always been saying things like that, most of which she'd thought he just said to make himself sound wise. 

Jenny thought back to him now and wished she'd taken him more seriously. He'd tried to teach her emotionally as well as physically. But the thought had made her feel better. She stood, filled with new resolve, and looked around the room. She could do this. She could still get them out of here. Maybe not right this instant, but when Halloween came… They'd have to take her out of this cell for whatever they were going to do, right? And she'd be ready for them. _I promise_, she thought, picturing the Executioners in her mind. _I'll do whatever it takes. I won't give up until they kill me._


	26. chapter 26: a surprise visitor

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(Author's Note: Wow, I had a lot more reviews on that last chapter than usual. Probably had something to do with the fact that it's been two months since I updated. *sigh* Sorry about that. With the end of the school year and me graduating, I just plain didn't have time. Hopefully, it'll never go that long again.

Kay: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I hope you keep reading it!

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Mandy: If I told you what happened to Michael, it would ruin the story. lol. No, actually, I don't know for sure what happened to Michael (and I wouldn't tell you if I did. *wink*), although I suppose he's probably locked up in a cell somewhere too. And you're not supposed to know what's going on with Damian. That's the suspense (or so I hope). *grin*

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Redaura: You'll know what happens soon enough. And sorry, can't answer any of your questions. I either don't know the answer, or I don't want to tell you the answer. hehe. And I'm typing away as I speak.

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Orange: Well, hopefully Jenny will get to beat on both Troy and Hunter, because if she doesn't… Well, what kind of story is this anyway? ;-)

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Baloo: Well, technically, your comment was on a different chapter, but if you happen to see this, thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked that line; it was one of my favorites. (And anyone else reading this, take my suggestion and read Baloo's FG story, The Resurrection! It's absolutely fantastic!)

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Laney: Wow, that was a great review. Being compared to LJS herself makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks a lot! It's always good to hear that, especially when I'm *trying* to write at least a little bit like her. Your review gave me a great ego boost (not that I needed it, hehe).

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ECHSGoddess: Yours was only on the first chapter, but if you happen to see this, thanks!

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Ice: I'm trying tow rite more, and I hope I don't let you down. Thanks for the review!

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MysticalMirage: Wow, what great timing! You left the review right before I logged on to post this part. Guess you have to wait less than most, huh? lol. But really, thanks a lot for the review. It makes me feel good that you think so highly of my writing, because I'm really trying to do good. And sometimes I just don't know about myself. :-p As for your prediction about Damian… Well, like I told all the others, I just can't say. If I told you, I'd have to kill you. ;-) (j/k!)

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Okay, I think that was it for reviews. Thanks you guys for reviewing, and for being so patient with me! I know two months is a long time to wait. I'll honestly try to keep it going a little faster, especially now that I'm graduated. )

*Chapter 26*

On the third day of Jenny's capture, something finally happened.

She had been in the corner of the room doing sit-ups, trying to keep her body going for when she could get out. That, and she had nothing else to do. She had been isolated for three days, day and night becoming one long period of nothing but food coming through a slot in the door. Thank God she had her watch; without it she wouldn't have any idea how long she'd been here. She'd spent the time trying not to think about Damian, because that only brought her pain she didn't need right now.

As she pulled herself up for another sit-up, the door opened. Jenny jumped to her feet, eyes wide. The door hadn't opened once since she'd been put here. The guard – not Damian; he hadn't been back since locking her in here – pushed someone inside and slammed the door quickly. He slid back the window and peered inside.

"Sorry, vermin. Your life of single blessedness has come to an end." He closed the window, chuckling at his cleverness.

"Bastard!" Jenny yelled after him, even though he probably couldn't hear her. She had to get her digs in somehow. 

She turned her attention to the figure lying sprawled on the floor. 

"Raina!" she gasped and instinctively rushed to help her up. Raina pushed Jenny's arm away and stood, shaking red curls off her face. Her green eyes blazed with fury as she faced Jenny.

"Oh great," she moaned. "Not only am I kidnapped by a bunch of disgusting vampires, but now I'm stuck in here with you!" She glared at Jenny and dusted off the tight black pants she wore.

"Good to see you too, Raina," Jenny said sarcastically. Raina was _not_ going to get to her, not in this place. She wouldn't let her. She _refused_. 

Raina sneered but didn't say anything else. Instead, she scanned the small room. "Alright, isn't there a way out of this trash heap?" She went to the door and began pulling on it.

"Don't bother," Jenny sighed. "There's no way out. Trust me. I've had three days to find that out."

Raina scoffed. "Trust you? After you told us to help that vampire boy, who, by the way, is working for them. I know because I saw him."

Of course Raina would use that against her. But she's right, Jenny told herself. It _is_ my fault about Damian. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Raina kept going. 

"And besides, just because you couldn't find a way out doesn't mean I can't. I think I'll just see for myself."

Jenny sighed again. Halloween suddenly seemed too far away. "Have at it," she breathed and flopped down in the corner to watch. 

Raina spent the next ten minutes examining every stone in the wall, every crack in the stone floor. She even looked down the small hole in the floor that passed for a toilet. Finally, she hunched her shoulders and leaned against the wall opposite Jenny, sulking.

Jenny smiled, watching her. "So, find anything?" she asked brightly.

Raina pointedly kept her back to her. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke. "Why are we here, anyway?"

"I have no clue." Jenny shook her head. "Nobody will tell me anything. You didn't hear anything, did you?"

Raina turned back to Jenny, rolling her eyes. "If I did, would I be asking you?"

"Oh, give it up, Raina!" Jenny snapped, suddenly angry. Raina closed her mouth, her eyes widening slightly. "I am not about to sit in here listening to you bitch and moan for the next 24 hours. I don't care if you like me or not, we're on the same side here. And if we're not careful, we're not getting out of here alive." She stood and walked over to Raina. "If you have a _problem_ with that, let's take of it right now. If it will make you feel better to fight me, fine. As long as you shut up after that." She stopped and stared at Raina, her face inches from Raina's.

Green eyes narrowed at Jenny and something flashed behind them. "Maybe I do have a problem."

Jenny lifted her chin defiantly. "Then why don't you do something about it?"

"Don't tempt me, Jenny," Raina breathed. The two stared at each other for a minute, neither speaking. Jenny could practically feel the tension racing through the air between them. She almost hoped Raina would fight her. She'd been cooped up in this room for days, bored out of her mind, sick with worry for herself and the others. Fighting Raina offered a chance to work out some of the frustrations that had been building up inside Jenny. If she only knew why the hell they were here! Or if the others were still alive! For days, Jenny had been coming up with more and more questions, without a single answer. 

_Do it, Raina_, something in her mind cried. And for a moment, it looked like Raina would take her on. Her eyes gleamed with the light Jenny usually saw when Raina was hunting. Then Raina sighed. 

"This is ridiculous. Much as I'd like to beat you down, it wouldn't get us anywhere." 

Jenny's jaw dropped. "Wow, Raina. I think that's the most sense I've ever heard you make."

Raina ignored her, pushing by her to drop down in the corner. "Doesn't mean I have to like it," she muttered. "Just stay out of my way, Jenny."

Not so easy to do in a small cramped room. Jenny hoped she wouldn't be forced to kill her anyway. 

***********

As it turned out, Jenny didn't have to spend very much time with Raina. After only a few hours of tense silence hanging between the two, a guard came back. They both stood as he unlocked the door and came in the room. He stared at them a moment, a smug grin on his face. Jenny and Raina shared a glance – they really were on the same side now. Confusion flooded Jenny's mind. The guards hadn't come in before, except to bring in Raina. 

"You," he finally said, pointing to Raina. "Come with me." He held up a pair of handcuffs and jingled them. Raina looked at Jenny, her green eyes wide in suspicion. Jenny shook her head slightly to let Raina know she didn't know what they were going to do.

"Where are you taking -" 

The door slammed behind them, cutting off Jenny's question.

Odd. It was very odd. Jenny had been there for two days and not once had a guard come to take her somewhere. Why now? Why Raina? 

To distract herself, she dropped to the floor to do pushups. She only had until tomorrow. 

Tomorrow. It could very well be the last day of her life. The thought sobered her quickly. I might not live to be 18, she thought. She'd spent much of her life hunting and killing, but she'd never really thought about herself dying. Then again, dying while trying to rid the world of a bloodsucking leech was one thing; dying while a prisoner in this underground ... whatever it was... was something else entirely. She didn't want to die this way. She wanted to go down in flames of glory, a martyr for the cause of humanity! 

Actually, screw that. She didn't want to die at all.

***********

The guard brought Raina back three hours later. The sound of the door slamming woke her from a sound sleep, and she sat up with a jerk. Raina stood in front of the closed doors, staring blankly at the opposite wall, one hand hovering at her throat.

"Raina?" Jenny mumbled, half wondering if she was still asleep. Slowly, Raina turned her eyes to meet Jenny's, and Jenny saw a tear slide down one cheek. She jumped to her feet, all animosity between them forgotten. "Raina, are you alright? What did they do?"

Raina blinked at the shiny wetness in her green eyes, forcing more tears to spill. She opened her mouth as if about to speak then shut it again. Silently, she reached up and pushed the hair from her right shoulder. Beneath the hair, two small wounds gleamed, deep and red, and Jenny gasped involuntarily. 

"Who…" she began, but Raina shook her head and pushed past her. She tossed herself into the corner, drawing her knees up to her and resting her forehead on them. Her entire body trembled. 

Jenny nodded. "Alright. We'll talk when you're ready."

Raina huddled in the corner for about twenty minutes, swaying back and forth slowly, her eyes squeezed shut. Jenny sat on the hard rock floor in the opposite corner, her eyelids growing heavy. Just as Jenny was about to doze off, Raina lifted her head.

"Jenny," she whispered. "I'm so scared." 

Jenny got up and moved to sit by Raina. Raina looked a serious mess. Jenny had never seen her lose it this much. She had always had a facade of steel, which Jenny admitted she'd always admired despite not liking the girl. Raina had never let anyone see if she was scared or hurting – she worked hard at her ice-cold bitch image. Now, her red hair hung limply over tense shoulders, and her green eyes were open wide and shiny with tears. 

Looking like that, Jenny had a hard time hating her. She wrapped an arm around Raina's shoulders and squeezed. "It's okay. You can tell me. What happened?"

Fresh tears spilled down Raina's cheeks, and her lower lip trembled. "I … They took me to see Troy."

Sympathy filled Jenny. She'd met Troy, and she knew how he could make you feel. After all, he'd almost broken Jenny's arm. "What did he want?"

Raina took a deep breath and turned to look at Jenny, sitting up straight and holding her chin high. She stared Jenny right in the eyes. "Me."

Jenny blinked. That wasn't the answer she had expected. "I'm sorry… What? He wants you?" 

__

"They took me to this room, _his_ room," Raina whispered, her eyes glazing over. "He said he wanted me to be his queen." She turned back to Jenny and grabbed her wrists. "He said he was going to be king, and he wanted _me_ next to him."

Something clicked in Jenny's mind. _"I am your lord…_ _I will take what is mine. Death to anyone who gets in my way."_ Troy had said those very words to her in his 'office.' And now he wanted Raina to be his 'queen.' 

"Oh my God," Jenny breathed, suddenly understanding. "He's not working for Hunter. He's going to try to take over!" She stood, every nerve in her body suddenly on fire. She couldn't let it happen. As if the Night World wasn't bad enough under Hunter and the Council. With Troy in charge… It would be like the 10,000 years of vampire rule all over again. The Night World would overrun the human world, no longer content to hide in the shadows. They would all die unless someone put a stop to it!

Raina, still sitting on the floor, coughed pointedly. Jenny shook herself out of her thoughts and looked down at Raina. "Oh, Raina, I'm so sorry. It's just… Don't you see? If Troy takes over, that's it for humans. We can't let that happen."

Realization filled Raina's face, the tears in her eyes drying with resolve, and she stood. "You're right."

"We need a plan," Jenny said, thinking aloud. "We need to somehow organize everyone who's here, to take him on as a group tomorrow. It's the only way."

"It's not the only way," Raina whispered. She turned to Jenny, her eyes widening. "I'm the one he wants. He said he wants me by my side tomorrow. I don't know why he wants me, but I can kill him."

Jenny stared at Raina. "You're willing to take that risk? You could be killed, Raina. Or worse, if you don't do it in time… He could change you."

Raina crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, that's a chance I'm willing to take."

Respect filled Jenny, and she nodded. She felt suddenly close to this girl she'd hated for so long. Raina might pretend to be spiteful and unlikable, but when it came down to it, she knew what had to be done and was willing to do it. Maybe she and Raina could actually put their differences aside and be friends.

The memory of Raina knocking Jenny flat on her back outside the apartment building in Chicago surfaced in Jenny's mind. 

Then again, maybe not. 


	27. chapter 27: bad dreams

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(Author's Note: Wow! This has got to be a record for me! Only four days have gone by, and another update! lol. Anyway, I'm really not sure about this part. Does it seem too cheesy, melodramatic, unneccessary? Or is it okay? Let me know, please! Okay, reviews (so many this time! yay! lol):

Leopardess: Well, you don't get to see Raina and Jenny working together in this chapter, although they do seem civil. Hopefully, things will really get going in the next chapter, including more about Damian. And don't worry about not reviewing. You're obviously still reading it and liking it, so that makes me happy. *grin*

Candika: Thanks! I was hoping it would be a good twist. I didn't even know it was going to happen until my fingers typed it out. Glad you liked it!

Mandy: Sometimes _I _think I might not ever be finished. lol. If I told you how long I've really been working on this story, you probably wouldn't believe me (much longer than I've been a member of fanfiction.net, that's for sure). But I've got it in my mind to finish it, and soon, so it's going to get done. Don't worry. I'm really flattered that this is your favorite story, since there's so much other great fiction on ff.net. Thank you for always commenting, and for staying with me!

Baloo: Ha! Surprised you! Another two months… Have some faith. Hmph. *grin* And no, Michael isn't, how did you say it, "batting for the other team." lol. Trust me on that. As for Damian, you just keep on believing whatever makes you feel better. ;-) And I'm glad you said you can hate and admire Raina at the same time, because that's exactly how she makes me feel. lol. Well, I updated in four days… *looks at watch* I'd like to see The Resurrection beat that! *wink*

Ice: Thanks! And here you go:… 

Lotrangelle: Wow, I don't think I've ever seen anyone use as many exclamation points as you did in your review. lol. But it's flattering, so thanks. And here you go, I wrote more.

The Cat: You read the whole thing in one sitting? Wow... I didn't think anyone could do that. lol. But I'm glad you liked it enough to keep going. It means I'm doing what I hoped to do. Thanks for the very ego-boosting review, even though you threatened me! lol.

Okay, that's it for reviews. Thanks you guys! It means a lot to me that you all commented in only four days!)

*Chapter 27*

During her time in prison, as she had come to think of it, Jenny hadn't had any trouble sleeping, despite the cold, hard floor. The stress of the last week – especially three days ago when Damian had turned on her – had drained her both emotionally and physically. She felt she had gained back most of her old self, but physically, her body rejoiced at the thought of sleep. Kind of ironic, since she'd spent two days in a near-coma before coming here. Sleep was an escape that Jenny welcomed in this uneventful, monotonous room. It helped pass time until she could finally do something – either escape or die trying. 

Not this night. 

Jenny fell asleep quickly after lying down in her corner, but dreams haunted her. 

The first dream jumped her to the next morning, Halloween. Guards came to get her, and Jenny tried to fight. The guards, about a dozen of them, it seemed, all faceless and wearing black, swarmed on her and tied her hands behind her back. They prodded her down a long, dark hallway she hadn't been in before. She stumbled in the darkness twice, and the guards laughed at her helplessness.

"Some vampire hunter," they cackled. "Can't even walk."

Finally, a door appeared at the end of the hallway. It glowed a deep red and seemed to pulse with energy. Waves of evil rolled off the door, suffocating Jenny.

_I don't want to go in there!_ her mind screamed, and she dug her heels into the dirt floor. The guards pushed her forward anyway. When the door opened, seemingly by itself, a guard untied her hands and pushed her in. 

The door slammed behind her, echoing even though the room was small. She impulsively jumped back against the door so nobody could sneak up on her, then looked around. 

It was a nightmare. Well, yes, this whole _scene_ was part of Jenny's nightmare, but the room was a nightmare in itself. The pulsing red light she'd seen outside the door was even worse inside. The room almost seemed to be _beating_, like a heart, kept alive by the evil acts committed in this room. Something, some _feeling_ in the room, pressed down on her like a physical thing.

Jenny drew in a breath, but the breath didn't come back out again. She couldn't breath. She was suffocating, and this room made her mind spin out of control. Her hands flew to her throat, and she sank to her knees. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the red energy. 

"It's only a dream, it's only a dream," she repeated over and over again. "Wake up, Jenny, wake up."

"This is no mere dream. It's a nightmare." A deep voice rolled over her and her eyes flew open. Troy stood in front of her, wearing the same clothes she'd him in last time. She stood up to face him. "Although it doesn't have to be a nightmare for you, Jenny."

Jenny's breath exploded out of her chest, and suddenly she could breath again. Not that her situation was any better. Troy reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. She gasped in disgust and pushed it back off.

Troy chuckled and grinned. The grin revealed straight, white, _sharp_ teeth. The red in his eyes seemed to pulse along with the room. "Jenny, Jenny… Always a fighter. It doesn't have to end this way, you know." He turned his back on her and stood staring thoughtfully at the other side of the room.

Confused, Jenny couldn't help but ask. "What do you mean?"

He lifted his chin and turned back to her, another smile on his face. "All you have to do is say the word. Become one of us, and you don't need to worry about Hunter's plans."

"You're crazy," she whispered.

"And it would certainly solve your little problem with Silverwind, wouldn't it?" He stared at her, drawing her into his gaze.

"I…" She suddenly felt very dizzy. He was right. If she became a vampire, then there should be no reason why she couldn't be with Damian. No theological excuse to hate him. No reason for him to be against her. No more betrayal. She stared at Troy, images of Damian flashing through her mind, him leaning over to kiss her in the moonlight, turning to look at her before he went into Troy's office the first time. His face as he closed the door of her cell and walked away, locking her away… 

"No!" she cried, pushing the images violently out of her head and breaking his stare. "I'll never give in to you!"

The smile disappeared from Troy's face. "Well, then, I guess I have no choice. I offered…" He stepped toward her. "There is no escape for you."

Jenny tried to back away from him, but she was already as far back as she could be. Her back touched the door, and blind panic tore through her. "No!" she screamed as he grabbed her arms and lowered his head to her neck. 

Right before he bit, she blacked out. The sound of his laughter echoed through her head as she lost consciousness…

And woke up again. She blinked against the bright white light shining down on her. After her eyes adjusted, she looked around. Bad idea. She was lying on some kind of hard table made of white marble. The light above illuminated her and the surface she was on, but nothing else. All around her, darkness pressed in. 

She sat up, the fear washing over her again. "Hello?" she called weakly, hugging her arms around herself. Was she still asleep? Was this still a dream? Or had they moved her while she was asleep? 

When nobody answered, she swung her legs over the edge of the table and dropped to the ground. She could see nothing outside the circle of light, but staying within the light where she could be seen frightened her more than the darkness. She took a few steps out of the light and looked back. With a gasp, she realized the table she had been lying on was actually the altar that had been in Troy's office. She shook her head in disbelief. This was not happening to her…

Turning her back on the lit-up table, she walked deeper into the darkness. Her hands waved in front of her so she wouldn't run into anything. The table grew smaller as she walked away from it, but she never came against a wall. How big was this room? 

A sound off to her left stopped Jenny in her tracks. She spun in that direction, straining her eyes to see something in the dark. Nothing. She glanced back at the table, which was barely discernible at this distance. How had she walked so far from it and not come across anything? After a good 30 seconds of waiting for another sound, Jenny forced herself to start walking again. 

Another sound came to her ears, this time on her right side. Footsteps, she finally realized. Like somebody walking, trying very carefully to be quiet. The blood pounded in her ears, and suddenly she felt sure that whoever was out there could see her clearly. She took off running, praying she wouldn't run smack into a wall and knock herself out.

The ground changed beneath her feet. Instead of being smooth, like a cement floor, it was filled with holes and bumps. She began going uphill. Finally, her foot slid into one of these holes and she stumbled to the ground, her ankle twisting painfully. She gasped, blinking back tears. The footsteps drew closer, from both sides now. She tried to stand, but fell again as pain flared through her ankle. Sobbing, she crawled blindly along the ground, which was now covered in grass.

I'm outside, she thought, barely registering the realization in her panic to get away. 

The footsteps were right behind her, and Jenny could no longer run. Her energy had waned, as if her fear itself were sapping it from her. She collapsed on her back and curled into a ball, tears coursing down her cheeks. 

And the laughter started again. It echoed all around her, pushing in on her, making her feel like she was drowning. She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, although that made no difference in her sight.

The laughter stopped. Her eyes flew open, and she suddenly realized she could see again, though only a little. She stared up at the sky, seeing wisps of clouds float by in the night. A quarter moon appeared behind one of them, spilling pale, cool light around her. She sat up and looked around. Trees circled around her – how she'd managed not to run into one of them, she didn't know. The ground inclined gently behind her, leading to a circle of columns at the top of a hill. Seeing nobody nearby, she stood cautiously, careful not to put too much weight on her twisted ankle. The circle at the top of the hill seemed to call to her, and she knew that was where she had to go.

Carefully, she worked her way up the hill, hobbling around trees and low scrub bushes. As she neared the top, she realized someone stood within the circle, his figure lit in the moonlight. 

"Hello?" she called softly. Too softly; whoever it was couldn't hear her, she thought. But he did. His head turned in her direction. She climbed the last few feet of the hill slowly, knowing he was waiting for her.

As Jenny neared him, she realized she recognized him. 

"Michael!" she cried, and ran to him as best she could. She flung her arms around his waist, so glad to see him that she forgot her fear of a few minutes before. "What are you doing here?"

He looked down at her, worry showing on his face even in the darkness. A curl of dark hair fell into one eye, and Jenny reached up to push it away. "Jenny," he whispered, and pulled her to him. His lips touched hers, and she suddenly forgot everything, her twisted ankle, the laughter, the altar… Michael had never held her like this, never kissed her. As much as she'd dreamt about this very moment, she'd never felt it would actually happen. Happiness filled her with warmth, and she closed her eyes, letting herself fall against him, trusting him to support her. 

"Oh, Michael," she breathed. 

And then she heard laughter again. She gasped and pulled away from Michael, spinning around without looking at him. Outside the circle, she could see Troy ascending the hill. When he saw her looking, he stopped laughing, and raised one hand in a wave.   
"No," she whispered. Behind her, Michael pushed her hair to one side and gently kissed her neck, seemingly oblivious to Troy's appearance. She pushed at him absently to get him to stop. Instead of stopping, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Michael!" she cried, and that was when she felt the sting of teeth in her throat. 

She whipped around in Michael's arms, feeling teeth slide back out of her throat … and screamed. Michael no longer stood there. Instead, somehow, it was Hunter, with his red hair and golden hawk's eyes, who stood there in the moonlight, one arm still around her waist.

Jenny felt her eyes would pop out of her head if they opened any wider. One hand flew up to her throat and came away wet and dark. Hunter grinned, silver flashing in his eyes, and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. 

"Tasty," he said. 

"No," Jenny moaned, backing away from him, waves of disgust rolling over her. "No."

Strong hands grabbed her from behind, and Troy spun her around. "I told you," he growled, sharp teeth descending across his lips. "You can't escape us. It's inevitable. Join us or die."

She shook her head, tears once again blinding her. She wrenched out of Troy's grip, only to be caught again by Hunter. Above her, the moon disappeared behind the clouds, sending her into blackness again. As teeth sank into her throat again, Jenny thought she heard someone calling her name.

_It's all over,_ she thought. _I'm dead._

"Jenny," the voice called again, insistently.

_Go away. It's too late._

"Jenny!"

Jenny's eyes flew open. Hunter and Troy were gone, the circle of pillars was gone. She was lying on the straw-covered floor in her cell. The light from the lamp in the wall, although dim, made her squint, and she threw up a hand to block it. Raina leaned over her, peering into her face.

"Are you okay? You were dreaming," she asked, looking almost concerned. 

"Oh man," Jenny breathed. What an awful dream. She rubbed her arms, suddenly cold even though she was drenched in sweat. She'd never had a dream that _real_. Suddenly worried, she touched the side of her neck. Her fingers found only smooth skin. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. Still in the cell. Thank God. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Raina. "Did I wake you up?"

Raina shrugged. "Your thrashing around and moaning did. But I wasn't really sleeping well anyway. Today's the day." 

Jenny's heart sank as she glanced at her watch. It was almost 8:00 in the morning. Halloween. The big day. Today could very well be the worst – and last – day of her life. "I wonder when they'll be coming for us?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. She hoped it would be a while yet. Her dream had left her feeling achy and tired. 

_If it was a dream_, the voice in her head whispered illogically. Jenny shook her head. No way it wasn't a dream. Real as it had felt, she had woken up from it, and she didn't have bite marks on her neck. But what if it was a warning? Was it possible for vampires to enter a human's dreams? Jenny didn't think so, but the thought still made her feel uncomfortable. 

Raina didn't get the chance to answer Jenny's question if she was going to. At that moment, the lock in the door rattled, and the door swung open to reveal Saul, one of the men who had taken Jenny and Tiffany to the cemetery. He stood in the doorway, his sword hanging from his waist. He narrowed his eyes at them, his lips pressed in a thin line. Raina and Jenny stood, huddling together in the corner. 

Saul nodded his head in their direction, and four figures behind him rushed into the room at them.


	28. chapter 28: reunion

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(Author's Note: Yay, ff.net back up! It figures – I go away for a month, and soon as I get back, _that's_ when the site goes down. lol. Anyway, I'm getting really close to the end of this story, and hopefully I'll wrap it up by the end of the month (not promising anything though. :-P). Okay, for those of you who commented: 

Leopardess: I'm glad I 'damn near frightened you to death.' Hehe, that comment made me giggle. I was kinda wanting the dream sequence to be a little scary, but didn't figure it really would be. Especially because I did say it was a dream at the beginning. Maybe I should have left that out? Anyway, thanks for the compliment!

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The Cat: I'm really going to try to update faster now. I want to get the story done. So I _will _try. But keep on threatening me if you want. lol. Maybe it works… *grin*

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Laney: Here's more now. lol. As for Raina, yes, she is selfish, that's probably upbringing. Hopefully, you'll find out what her deal is fairly soon here. Unless she doesn't want to tell.. *wink*

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Mandy: I do cliffhangers just because I know you love them so much. lol. And I'm glad that was what you got out of the whole dream sequence. That's what I was going for. Otherwise, it would be a pointless chapter. And if it's a little confusing, that's because _dreams_ are confusing. Then again, if it was _really_ too confusing, let me know and I'll try to fix it. 

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Dark Beauty: Um, I take it you liked it? *grin* Well, hopefully you like this chapter too. :-P

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Baloo: I always love your reviews.. You get really specific, and I love that. Trust me, Michael is exactly as he seems to be; definitely _not_ batting for the other side. Sorry to disappoint you. ;-) As for Damian, I'm sorry to say that I know for a fact that he will not reappear for at least a few chapters. He's gone into hiding to sulk or something. But when he comes back, I'll let him know you're looking for him. lol. And let me remind you: WRITE! ;-) hehe.

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Redaura: I'm going to try to update faster, so maybe you'll get two chapters again. And I really have no excuse now that I'm graduated. If only it were that simple. *sigh* Hmm.. Seems everybody wants Michael to be a bad guy. What's up with that? lol. I personally have no problem with him. Then again, he _is_ my creation. But still… He's a pretty good guy… Really. As for Hunter and Troy… Well, we can only hope they bite it… the dust, that is. *grin*

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MysticalMirage: Glad you liked it! And don't be flattered for being included… Why wouldn't you be? : ) And as I said two paragraphs up, no Damian for a little while. I think you guys are getting too attached… He _is_ a traitor after all, remember? ;-)

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Orange: Thanks! Always love to hear what you think!

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lilol'me: Yes, I just graduated from college. As for Damian's name… To be honest, that wasn't going to be his name originally… A friend and I thought of a really good name to use instead, because I didn't want to use Damian – too close to Damon… But, and this is actually kind of funny, when I started writing, for some reason I completely forgot that I'd renamed the character! And by the time my friend noticed and protested, we'd both forgotten what name we'd decided on. lol. So.. *shrug* Damian stayed Damian. *grin* As for Strange Fate, all I know is it's not written yet, and nobody know when, so just keep hanging on. 

Thanks everybody for reviewing!! A lot that time! I feel so loved! lol.

*Chapter 28*

Instinctively, Jenny and Raina dropped into a fighting stance as the guards ran at them, their backs turned slightly away from each other. As the first guard reached her, Jenny kicked out at him. She caught him in the knee, and he knelt over, grabbing it. The taller guard behind him pushed him aside. He dodged Jenny's punches and grabbed her arm. 

"No!" she cried, trying to yank her arm out of his hand. But he was too strong, and she was still too sluggish from sleep. She kicked out at him, and he caught her leg in his other hand. He yanked on her leg and she lost her balance, crashing to the floor on her back. She closed her eyes and moaned as pain raced up her spine like a snake. When she opened them again, the guard was kneeling over her, one foot on either side of her, and a sharp dagger was pressed to her throat. 

"Shit," she breathed. So much for that pitiful attempt to escape. Over the guard's shoulder, she could see Raina being led out of the cell, her hands tied behind her back. To her credit, she was still struggling, and words flowed out of her mouth that would have made even a hard-ass blush. 

"That's right, girly." The tall guard leaned over her, grinning. Sharp white teeth flashed in the light. "You're in it deep." 

He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her roughly to her feet. The guard she had kicked in the knee hobbled over and pulled her arms behind her – more like _ripped_ her arms behind her. Jenny got the feeling he was bitter. 

The injured guard pushed her toward the door, the other guard at her side. As they headed up the tunnel leading from the prison room, Jenny could see Raina up ahead, no longer struggling, but with a determined set to her body. At the top of the tunnel, Jenny passed Raina, whose guards had stopped her next to a column in the next room. 

As Jenny walked by, Raina leaned toward her and managed to hiss "Remember what I said!" before the guards pulled her back. Jenny nodded, attempting a small smile for reassurance.

The guards led her to an entrance on her left, not the one she had originally come down three days before. This one didn't lead up or down. Rather, it led straight out into darkness. The injured guard pulled a torch from the wall next to the opening. 

"Where are you taking me?" Jenny finally asked as they walked deeper into the darkness. 

The tall guard only smiled, as if enjoying a joke at her expense. _He probably is_, she thought.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" she persisted. The injured guard snorted, and she leveled her gaze on him. "Well, if I'm going to die, you're going down with me." She could feel hatred boiling up inside of her, and she put every bit of it behind her gaze. The guard smiled at first, but as she stared at him, the smile wavered. Finally, he looked away.

"Right," he muttered.

She walked on in silence. She obviously wasn't going to get any information out of these two. Instead, she needed to be thinking of a plan. She wriggled her hands around behind her back, but the ropes were too tight. They gave no leeway at all. 

_Okay, think, Jenny_. She bit her lip, concentrating. They would have to untie her, wouldn't they? Hunter had said she'd have a sporting chance, and wouldn't ropes be unsporting? Then again, how could she trust anything _Hunter_ said. After all, he was pretty much the head of the Night World, if not in title. He could do whatever he wanted. 

Well, if she didn't get untied, she was screwed. _Oh, way to think_, she scowled at herself. _It's just a minor inconvenience_. 

Jenny slowed slightly to let the guards get a little ahead of her. Just as she was about to plant a foot in the tall one's back, they slowed too. Damn. Escaping was always so much easier when the guards were stupid. 

The tall one gave her a look of warning, clearly telling her he knew what she'd been thinking. 

She sighed. 

"So, do you guys have any hobbies?" she asked cheerfully. They ignored her. "Yeah, you guys are real conversationalists."

The injured guard whirled on her, grabbing her shirt in his sweaty fist. 

"Hey, watch it!" she cried.

"You wouldn't be so talkative if you knew what we had in store for you," he hissed. "If I were you, I'd be praying for forgiveness from your maker."

Something in his voice chilled her, and her mouth dried up. God, she did not want to be here. 

They walked the rest of the way through the tunnel in silence. The only sound was the steady drip of water falling from the ceiling. Finally, the tunnel opened into a small room with bars on either side. Guards stood posted around the room, each sporting a long, wooden sword. 

Even worse, Jenny realized… There were _people_ in the dark behind those bars, lots of people, on both sides. Her mouth fell open with surprise, and her breath caught. 

"Oh my God," she breathed. 

The guards pushed her to the left. Another guard unlocked a barred door, and Jenny found herself being tossed in, the door closing behind her with a solid clank. 

She turned and faced the group of people behind her. There had to have been at least two dozen of them. Some stood and some sat, but all huddled against each other in the shadows, looking scared. Most of them watched her curiously.

One small boy, looking not more than a day over 13, stepped forward. "Welcome to Hell," he said grimly.

Panic flashed through her, and her heart suddenly seemed dragged down by hopelessness. She was definitely going to die. All of these people were going to die. And there wasn't a damn thing anybody could do about it. 

She pressed her fingertips against closed eyelids until bright lights flashed against her vision. No. This couldn't be happening. She didn't want to die. She'd said it before, but at the moment, it seemed like she didn't have a choice… and she was _scared_. If there were this many people in here together and they hadn't managed to get away, then it really was hopeless. She might as well just give up now and not waste the energy. 

On the other side of the flashing lights, someone walked up to her. She could hear the footsteps stop in front of her. Finally, a small voice said, "Jenny?"

Jenny's eyes flew open. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, a smile forcing itself on her. "Mari! You're alive!"

She threw herself at the smaller girl, and they hugged each other tight. 

Jenny laughed. "I'm so glad to see you!" Mari looked pale and disheveled, but very much alive.

"Tell me about it!" Mari grinned, pushing dark hair out of her face. "I feel like I've been in here forever!" Her face sobered. "But I'm not happy that they got you, Jenny. I thought for sure you'd be able to escape them."

Jenny sighed, her elation fading quickly. "I had to come find you guys. I didn't know what happened."

Nodding, Mari took Jenny's hand and squeezed it. "I was hoping you'd be smarter than that, but I didn't figure you would be." She smiled ruefully. "I saw Michael and Carl on the other side of the room. And Ashton too."

Just then, a figure stepped up behind Mari, dwarfing her. "Gunther!" Jenny gasped, and rushed at him. She'd never been that close to Gunther, but at the moment she was so happy to see him that a hug seemed totally appropriate. 

He patted her back clumsily. "Nice to see you're still alive and kicking, Jenny." 

Jenny stepped back and looked around at the room full of people. "Does anybody know what the hell is going on?"

Silence. A few people shook their heads, but most just stared at her. 

"Yeah, I had a feeling that would be the answer."

***********

A few more people were put in the cell over the next hour, but nobody left, and nobody had any idea what to do next. They sat in a semicircle, staring at each other.

"I say when they come to get us, we all rush them," one girl said, her eyes looking hollow. 

"That will never work," another girl said. "As soon as we did that, they'd shut the door on us."

A boy in the corner spoke up. "Well, what about when they take us out? How about then?"

"That would be great," Mari said, "but I doubt they'd be that stupid. They'll take us out a few at a time, I'm sure."

"But on our own, we'll never get out of here!"

"I just want to go home!"

"We're all going to die!"

Everybody started speaking at once, and Jenny leaned against the wall and closed her eyes tight, as if not seeing them would make the noise stop. 

A small girl with tangled blond hair stepped into the middle of the group. "There's nothing we can do," she said quietly. "I say we just wait and see what happens. See if an opportunity opens to us." As soon as she stopped talking, she dropped her eyes to the floor and backed away. 

"What?" one boy exclaimed. "We just let them do whatever to us? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"No," Jenny said, standing. "No, she's right. If we try anything here, we die anyway. If we wait… we might get a better opportunity."

Mari stepped forward. "They'll be expecting us to try something now. If we wait… We might catch them by surprise."

The boy standing next to Jenny grinned. "Yeah. And then I'll rip those damn vampires' throats out!"

"Hey!" a voice protested. "_I'm_ one of those damn vampires."

"Me too." 

"And me."

Jenny's eyes widened as four girls and two boys stood. "Wait a minute… Are there any other Night people in here?"

The girl with the tangled blond hair spoke up. "I'm a 'shifter," she said softly. "And he is too." She pointed to the boy sitting next to her. He nodded.

A girl at the back tentatively raised her hand. "Me too."

"This _is_ odd," Jenny breathed. Why were they all here? What did the Night World want with both humans and its own people? "Why do they want you guys?" she asked aloud.

"I'm in Circle Daybreak," the blonde said thoughtfully. The others nodded in agreement. 

"Well, that explains it," Mari said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against Gunther, who sat next to her. "Apparently they want to get rid of all of us, because we get in their way."

Jenny noticed the boy next to her narrowing his eyes at the girl who'd said she was one of the damn vampires. His mouth tugged down in a scowl, and she didn't like the look of it. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to her, startled. 

"Now's not the time," she warned him, then turned to the crowd. Not to sound bossy, but somebody had to say it. "Now's not the time for any of us to be taking out old grudges on each other. I don't care if you're a vampire or a shapeshifter or a vampire hunter. I don't care if you go after each other when we get out of here. But if we don't put our differences aside, we're not going to make it out of here, that much can be assured."

The boy frowned, but unclenched his fists. The others looked around at each other, nodding in agreement. 

"So what do we do now?" Jenny asked, since they were all looking at her. 

"We wait."


	29. chapter 29: a talk

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(Author's Note: Told you next chapter would be up pretty quick. My goal is to have this story done by the end of the month, so hopefully by … 11 days from now, there will be an end. I'm not sure how many chapters total, but my guess is maybe 35… Maybe less, I'm not sure. Anyway, I'm trying. 

Mandy: Thanks, glad you liked it. And like I said, updates should be more frequent now. If they're not, you have my permission to send me nasty emails. lol. 

****

Orange: LOL! Your description of "biggest fat-assed build up ever" made me laugh. Guess I'd never thought of it quite that way. :-P I'm glad you liked it though. I admit, I've been ready to get going on the plot, but I felt a few things had to be taken care of first. I hate just skipping important things. This next chapter still makes you wait, but I *promise* the one after that, things will really get going. 

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Redaura: Sorry for the waiting, but as I told Orange, you'll find out everything in chapter 30. I promise. Everything will be explained. *grin* And I'm actually glad you're attached to Damian; if you're weren't, then I'm a terrible writer. :-P

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Leopardess: Next chapter, here it is. You can get rid of those pins and needles now. lol. And you'll find out what happened to Raina, sorta, in chapter 30. Damian… Well, he'll be back soon, I swear. Glad you like it!

****

Thanks for the reviews, guys!)

*Chapter 29*

Jenny was so tired of waiting. That was all she'd done the last few days. If she got out of here, she'd be the model of patience, but she going to go crazy if something didn't happen here soon. Unfortunately, she really didn't have a choice in the matter, so she just had to deal with it.

She sighed and leaned her head back against the cell wall. At least it was dark in here. The lamp behind the wall in her other cell had been constantly lit. It hadn't been very bright, but a little bit of darkness was appreciated. Plus, in the dark, she didn't have to see all the others lying around the cell. She could almost forget what was going on. Kind of funny if she thought about it – she'd been fighting the darkness for so long, and now she welcomed it. 

What was even worse… She'd known exactly how the boy earlier had felt, had wanted to join with him to fight the Night people in this cell. A part of her had reveled at the thought of having half a dozen vampires and shapeshifters to take out.

But she couldn't think that way. Not now. She _knew_ that. But again she found herself wondering what her place in the world would be after they got out of here. How could she go back to the way she was before, after having teamed up with Night people, after having a vampire as a friggin' _soulmate_? At the same time, though… How could she totally accept the Night people, after having fought against them for half her life, and still having the hatred inside of her?

And Tiffany and Ashton… She hated to admit it, but she considered them to be good _people_. Yes, people. She never would have thought she'd be referring to Night people as anything but evil scum. But, if she were friends with them… Well, to put it bluntly, what if one day the old hatred came back to the surface and she killed them in a fit of rage? Talk about conflicting emotions. Jenny didn't know if she could put herself through that. Maybe the best thing to do was to stay away from them all, that way she didn't get emotionally attached. 

Yes, that would be best. 

She would work with them now, under this extreme situation, and after it was over, she'd go back to her old life. Or as much of her old life as was left. She'd try to be a normal teenager, and go to school, and get a job. 

Boring, but she would really try. 

She couldn't be friends with them, but she couldn't kill them either. 

Another sigh. _Forget it_, she told herself. _Think about surviving first_. 

A movement on her right caught her attention. Mari, shifting in her sleep, her head leaning against Gunther's arm. Most of the people in the cell were dozing. That was what Jenny should be doing, getting some rest, but after the nightmare she'd had the night before, she preferred just to stay awake. 

Another movement, as somebody sat down on Jenny's other side. It was the girl with the blonde hair, the shapeshifter. She sat and watched Jenny with wide green eyes. 

"Hi," she said shyly.

Jenny nodded hello. The girl must have seen the curiosity on Jenny's face because she continued.

"I can't sleep. You're the only one awake. I thought we could talk."

"Okay." Jenny fiddled with a strand of hair, twisting it around one finger, wondering what they could possibly talk about. Their impending deaths?

The girl hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. "I'm Selene." She glanced sideways at Jenny, looking suddenly very small and young.

"Jenny."

They sat in silence for a moment before Selene spoke again. "Do you think we'll make it out of here?" she whispered. 

Jenny smiled faintly. She wanted to lie to the girl, to tell her sure, everything would be fine. But she didn't have the energy or the courage. Instead, she said, "I don't know. I really hope so."

Selene nodded. "Me too. But I'm really scared. I'm not much of a fighter."

A twinge of sympathy pulled at Jenny. It just wasn't fair. At least she and the other Executioners were trained to fight. What was a girl like this supposed to do? How could she even stand a chance? Was that Hunter's idea of sporting? Anger pulsed through her veins, and she scowled. "Don't worry, Selene. We'll get out of here," she found herself saying, determination filling her voice.

Another nod from Selene. She lifted her head and looked at Jenny. "I think with people like you here, we just might. You're a fighter, aren't you? I can tell just by looking at you."

Jenny didn't know what to say. Did she really look that tough? She'd always thought her looks helped her appear _not_ to be a fighter. 

Selene continued before Jenny could say anything. "It's not like you have a bunch of muscles or anything," she said. _Hey,_ Jenny thought briefly. "It's the look in your eyes. Like you've seen a lot. Almost like this doesn't even faze you. Or those two." She nodded her head toward Gunther and Mari. "Were you guys in Daybreak?"

Jenny snorted. "No. Definitely not." She smiled grimly.

Selene's eyes widened. "You're human, right?" At Jenny's nod, she continued. "Then, if you're not in Daybreak, and you're in here…" She trailed off, looking slightly awed.

"I'm a vampire hunter. Those two are in my gang." It was the most Jenny had told anybody in a long time. She met Selene's eyes and held her gaze. 

"But… You stopped that boy from hurting anybody." Selene's voice sounded small.

Jenny broke the eye contact and looked away. "I know when it's time for restraint, that's all. Fighting wouldn't help any of us."

Fascination crossed Selene's face. "Do you … kill shapeshifters too?"

"Sometimes." Jenny's voice came out harsher than she'd meant it to.

"I see." Selene rested her chin on her knees again. 

Minutes passed, and the silence between them deepened. Selene stared off into space as if deep in thought. Jenny tried her hardest to do the opposite. She was tired of thinking. Her mind needed a rest from the circles it had been running itself in for weeks.

Her eyes had slowly begun dropping when Selene's soft voice broke the silence. "I was like you once," she said, barely above a whisper. "I hated humans. I wanted them all to die. But then…" 

"What?" Jenny was curious despite herself.

A wry smile. "I met my soulmate," Selene whispered. Her eyes glazed over, as if remembering. "He was a human."

Jenny stared, her breath catching in her throat. She suddenly felt unable to move.

"I didn't want to accept it. I _hated_ humans. And soulmates were just a fable, anyway. He kept trying to make me see, but I was too blind."

"What happened?"

To Jenny's surprise, a tear welled up in Selene's eye. "He died. He was in Daybreak, and some werewolves hunted him down and killed him." She turned shiny eyes toward Jenny. "I wasn't with him, but I _knew_ the moment he died. I could feel it, and it was like I had died too. I regretted pushing him away. What I could have had, if I wasn't so stubborn…" The tear broke free and rolled down her cheek. 

She sighed. "So I joined Daybreak. I thought maybe by helping other soulmates, I could fill the hole in me left by his death. It's not gone… But Daybreak has helped me deal with the fact that there will never be anyone else for me."

"But that's not true," Jenny protested. "You could be happy with other people. You just have to _try_."

Selene shook her head. "No. It doesn't work that way. Soulmates are soulmates. I know now that ignoring that is… well, condemning yourself to solitude for the rest of your life." 

Jenny's heart pounded, and she shook her head. "That can't be true. Why would that happen between two people who hate each other?" Her voice rose helplessly. "It's wrong. There's _got_ to be another way." She felt panic beginning to overtake her. Some part of her, deep inside, was yelling _no no no no no!_

_Stop it, Jenny!_ she mentally yelled at herself. _You've heard this before. Why is it bothering you now? _She shook herself and took a deep breath. Her right hand clenched into a fist.

Selene watched her carefully. "There is no other way," she whispered. She reached up and touched Jenny's cheek, and Jenny realized her fingers came away wet. Oh God. Selene smiled knowingly, suddenly looking wise beyond her physical age. "It can be the greatest thing in the whole world, if you just let it happen." She held Jenny's gaze for a moment, then turned away. "We better get some rest."

She stood and crossed over to the other side of the room, disappearing into the shadows. Jenny stared after her, then closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Her whole body ached with tension. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed Mari watching her from her position against Gunther, eyes wide. 

Jenny swiped angrily at the tears and turned her back on Mari. 

_Not now_, she thought. _Maybe not ever_. 


	30. chapter 30: games

**(Author's Note: Okay, sorry this took longer than I meant it to… And I hate to say this, but I don't think I'm going to meet my deadline of done by the 1st. See, I got a new computer last week, and I've been trying to transfer files from my old one, only nothing is working right, etc. So I've been screwing with that all week instead of working on this. Plus, I've been feeling sick, and I've had a cough for three weeks, which I know is not good.  :-p I know, it's an excuse, but that's why this is late. *sigh* I _promise the story will be done soon, though, if not by my goal. _**

**Laney: Welcome back, and good timing. I went away for a month too, and only posted a little bit before you came back. Well, I hope this chapter helps a little with that suspense that's killing you. ;-) It explains the biggest question at least. As for me being God or a future LJS… Eh… wishful thinking, but I think there are others on ff.net that far more deserve those titles. But I'm glad you like it!**

**Mandy: Thanks for sticking with the story so long! There was never a doubt in my mind that it would be finished, but I'm sure some of you have wondered. :-P And your final showdown, coming up soon! **

**Dragon Fire: How can I remember you if you keep changing your name? ;-) Hehe, just kidding. Here's more for you!**

**lil'ol'me****: "Vampire-lordy guy?" lol! Sorry, struck me as funny. ;-) Anyway, just be patient. Answers will come.. And I'm glad you like it.**

**Adelaide**** E: Wow… I was surprised when I saw I'd gotten *eight* new reviews at once.. and then they were all from you. *grin* Not very often that somebody reads the whole thing through in one sitting, much less commenting on some individual chapters! Anyway, didn't mean to make them sad or anything… But I guess if they made you feel that way, then that's good because they caused some emotion.. Right? :-P And the vermin thing… Yeah, I was feeling that whole repetitiveness as I wrote those chapters, but what else do you say when you're trying not to use many swear words? lol. If you didn't notice, I'd just about stopped using it by the end…**

**Water Angel: Thanks for sticking with the story! I'm glad you like it! **

**Spunky: Liking a story since the beginning is always good… Means the entire story's worth reading. :-P lol.**

**Jewel: I don't know if you'll see this, since you stopped at chapter 12, but… Thank you for you criticism… That's why I post on here, to find out what needs improved, and I don't get a lot of those (although, I admit I did feel a bit crushed at your change in opinion.. :-P). But believe me, I in no way intended this to be like The Chosen; I've never even associated it with it, other than it being at that same time period. And I understand what you're talking about with the soulmate thing, especially since I've read Kiana's story and a few others. But a couple of things I'd like to point out (not arguing with you, believe me.. Just my thoughts..)… For one, I've been writing this story a _long time. When I wrote the chapter you stopped at, that was probably… at least more than three years ago. I had no idea where I was going with the story for sure, and I didn't know how long it was going to be, so that's part of the reasoning behind that. This is also my first fanfic, and I felt it important to kind of hold to LJ's version of soulmates. Plus, the same thing had occurred to me when I wrote it; I actually asked my friends who'd been reading it if they thought Damian had given in too easily, if he was too wussy now, etc., and they told me no. I also can't help but feel that the rest of the story helps balance it out and explain things a little, so I'd like to know your opinion after you've read the rest, if it's still the same. Seriously, I want to know, because if it's that big of an issue, when I'm done with the story, I'll go back and try to fix it up (which I'll probably try to do anyway… Holes tend to form when you've been writing a story for almost five years). Finally, I admit that Kiana's a genius at writing, as are several others, and I know I can't come near comparing to them, and I've admitted that to myself. I only wish I could write so effortlessly  like them. I recognize my plots aren't always the best, and that's why I appreciate comments on them… Does this whole thing make sense? I get the feeling I sound like I'm angry and defending myself, but I'm not, honestly. Let me know what you think when you catch up to here, okay? I'd really like to know. I'd love to be able to get that "excellent" status back from you…_**

**Okay, now that that's out of the way… lol. Let me know what you think of this chapter, because it explains the point of the whole story, and if it doesn't work I'll hang myself. lol. No, just kidding; I'd try to fix it. But does it work, or it too cheesy and unbelievable? Thank you everybody! )**

***Chapter 30***

                Jenny finally dozed off about 15 minutes after her talk with Selene. She lay on her side, curled up in a ball, and fell asleep with a heavy heart.

                Her concern was twofold – not only had she rejected Damian, but he had rejected her when he betrayed them. It didn't matter if Jenny changed her mind if Damian didn't want her.

                And if what Selene had said was true, and Damian really didn't want her… 

                She sighed in her sleep, which was blissfully dreamless. The heavy clank of the cell door opening and shutting startled her awake about a half hour later. The guards began taking them out in pairs. 

                It had begun. 

                Her heart pounded as the cell grew emptier by the minute. Like clockwork, the guards appeared every five minutes to take two of them away. Selene was among the first. She didn't even look back. 

                Finally, Jenny's time came. Thankfully, the guards paired her with Mari. Jenny attempted a small smile for Mari, which Mari tried to return. The fear in her eyes couldn't be hidden, however. The two guards redid their hands behind their backs and led them through the door.

                Jenny glanced back at Gunther, still in the cell. He nodded his encouragement, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly. He looked paler and more nervous than Jenny had ever seen him. It was bad, if even Gunther was scared.

                Silently, Jenny and Mari followed their captors through a maze of tunnels. Jenny tried to pay attention to the turns, but soon lost track. They were headed farther down, that was all she knew. 

                Shouldn't we be hitting molten lava by now? she thought absently.

                Gradually, she became aware of a dull roar. It seemed to be coming from all around them, within the rock. She glanced at Mari, who shrugged. And then, they left the tunnel … and Jenny's heart stopped. 

                They had emerged into a wide, open area – no, that was an understatement. It was a gigantic hole in the rock above them, the ceiling so high that Jenny felt dizzy looking up. Bright artificial lights dotted the walls near the ceiling, aiming down at the center of the cavern. The "room" was round, and easily the length of a football field.  Seats carved directly into the stone rose high above Jenny. Hundreds of Night people teemed around the seats, talking amongst each other – the source of the roaring sound in the tunnel. Probably two dozen of them watched Jenny and Mari, the hunger plainly written in their eyes. 

                "Oh my God," Jenny breathed. 

                The guard next to her grinned, and actually waved at someone in the crowd.

                It was a stadium, simply put. A giant, underground stadium. They might be having a football game, or a soccer match. Whatever it was, it was much worse than any blood feast, Jenny was suddenly sure of that. She met Mari's eyes and an unspoken message passed between them – "Oh shit."

                "Quit gawking." The guard on her right poked Jenny in the side with his sword handle. "You'll see plenty of it in a bit."

                He led them to yet another cage, this one separated into cells of three or four people and built against the stone wall on the edge of the "playing field." The guards undid their ropes,  locked them in and sauntered off. 

                "What is going on?" Jenny cried, turning to her other cellmates, a boy with soft-looking brown hair, and a girl who looked older than Jenny – and absolutely terrified.

                "Looks like we'll find out soon," Mari said from her position at the door. She gestured at the center of the stadium. Hunter strolled across the field, a black velvet cloak draped over his shoulders. His golden hawk's eyes burned with intensity as he looked over the crowd.

                Behind him, five or six vampires followed, including Troy. Jenny's skin crawled at the sight of him. He wore his hair loose and flowing over his shoulders. Under his black trench coat, he wore a white silk shirt, open at the chest. Some kind of silver pendant hung around his neck, but Jenny was too far away to be able to see what it was. Heavy black boots stirred up dust from the packed-dirt floor as he walked. His red eyes glowed like burning coals, contradicting the cool smile he wore.

                "Who's that?" Mari whispered, looking at Troy.

                Jenny closed her eyes. "The devil himself."

***********

                Hunter stopped when he came to the middle of the field. His cadre of vampires stopped behind him. Troy stood to his left, leaving about a foot between them. Hunter raised his arms, and the crowd instantly fell silent. 

                "Welcome… to the Night World Games." He wasn't exactly shouting, but somehow his voice carried throughout the cavern. It was almost like he had a microphone, but Jenny didn't see any mics or speakers. 

                "The Night World Games?" Mari whispered to her. "What the hell is he talking about?"

                Jenny shrugged and turned back to Hunter as he began talking again. "I thank you all for coming." He slowly circled as he spoke, making sure he faced everybody. "You are all here because I invited you specifically. I invited those of you who I know are loyal, who I feel can understand the point of this event. I did not invite anybody who might be tempted to protest this, or to go running to the rest of the Council." He took a few steps toward the cages and gestured toward them. "These _lucky few have been gathered by close members of my staff. All of them have conspired and plotted against the Night World. Some of them are Daybreakers. Some are humans. __All deserve to die." _

Applause and cheering broke out among the spectators. Jenny could even feel the vibrations in the floor. 

Hunter continued after the noise quieted. "You are here for two reasons. The first, to celebrate the last vampire who truly understood the Night World's place among the humans. The last who took matters into his own hands, who conquered land after land in the name of the Night World. Since his death by two vermin hunters, nobody has dared go as far as him again." He smiled, allowing the suspense to build. "Yes, that vampire was Julius Caesar. The Night World has been all but erased from those ancient records, but I assure you, the Roman Empire was _really a Night World empire."_

The crowd roared again. Mari gasped and covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. 

"You've got to be kidding," Jenny found herself saying. 

Hunter motioned for silence. "So, it is in celebration of his vision that we hold these games here tonight. Although his plan failed with his death, it is upon those ideas that we should build. From tonight until it ends, we will have challenges. The victims… These traitors." He again gestured toward the cages. "Oh, they will have their chance to live… But they will have to _fight for it." The spectators cheered. _

"Bastard," Jenny spat. So _that was what he meant by sporting chance. Wonderful. _

"The challengers… will be those of you who wish to try your hand at combat." Surprised gasps from the crowd. A smug smile stretched across Hunter's face. He was pleased that he could catch them off guard. "Oh, don't worry," he continued. "There will be a reward involved. Those of you who make it to the championship round will have something quite valuable at stake. The winner of these games will be awarded the empty seat on the Council." 

More gasps. Mari turned to Jenny. "We're the pawns in a power play. Doesn't that make you feel better?" 

Jenny shook her head. She felt strangely calm for having found out what she was here for. _Shock, she thought. __I must be in shock. I should be crying and screaming right now. _

The girl behind her was huddled on the floor, shaking. Jenny almost felt sorry enough for her to go to her, but she didn't want to miss any of Hunter's speech. He'd obviously worked so hard on it. "I'm going to get that son of a bitch," she swore, more to herself than to anybody.

At that moment, she noticed Troy, who was watching Hunter with open hatred on his face. _If somebody else doesn't get him first, she thought. As soon as Hunter turned toward him, Troy's face went neutral. _

"I know what you're thinking," Hunter said. "There are no open seats on the Council. But trust me… There will be." That smug smile again. "The rules are simple. You fight to the death. The winner – Night World or not – moves on to a later round. If you're afraid of losing your life, do not enter. But with fear comes no reward." He stepped back and turned a full circle. "Now… Let the games begin."

                The crowd went wild, on its feet and cheering. 

                Impulsively, Jenny hugged Mari. "We can do it," she whispered roughly. "We've fought Night World before."

                Mari nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I hope you're right." 

                Hunter headed off the field in a different direction than he entered. Jenny noticed some steps cut into the wall on the far side, leading up to an enclosed box. 

                "Oh my God, there's Raina!" Mari pointed at the box, where, sure enough, Raina sat on a stone seat. Her wrists were handcuffed in front of her, and a chain led from the handcuffs to the ground. She had changed into a daringly cut black dress, and her hair fell around her shoulders like wild fire. She stood, watching the group approach her, a defiant sneer on her lips. Troy ascended the steps and stood next to her with a smile.

                "What does he want with her?" Jenny wondered aloud. To Mari, she said, "Well, for now, she's safer over there than down here with us." 

                As she said that, a scream filled the cavern, echoing off the walls. A girl was being led – no, dragged – out into the arena. She fought the guards the whole way, trying to yank herself free, but the guards held on. Finally, one threw a sword on the ground in front of her, and they let her go. They raced back toward the entrance, which a heavy wooden door immediately sealed. She stood in the center, tears racing down her cheeks. 

                From the other side of the arena, a woman entered. She wore some kind of black jumpsuit, which accented the fine blond hair spilling down her back. She stopped just past the entrance and lowered her gaze on the girl with a smile. With a yell, she ran at the girl, sword raised. 

                Jenny cringed and turned away in disgust before the woman reached the girl, who stood frozen like a deer in headlights. 

                She grabbed Mari's hand and said, "This is going to be a long-ass night."

***********

                Jenny couldn't watch. She had been in a lot of fights, but she couldn't stand to watch so many people who weren't fighters being sent to their deaths. Instead, she sat in the far corner of the cage, ignoring the sounds of battle and trying to give the frightened girl a few tips. 

                "The key is not to give in to your fear," she told her. The girl nodded, wide-eyed. "I know you're scared, but if you freeze up out there for one second, it's all over. Just take whatever weapon they give you and try to use it to keep away the opponent. Wait for an opening, and take him down. I promise you, as long as you concentrate and don't give up, you can make it out of there alive. Follow your instincts." She squeezed the girl's shoulder.

                The girl sniffled. "I'll try." 

                At that moment, Mari yelled at her, wildly motioning her to come to the door. "It's Michael! He's up!"

                Jenny's heart skipped a beat. _Oh God, Michael. She jumped to her feet and raced to the door, clinging to the bars as if she could bend them like Superman. Tension raced through her body, and she shivered violently. "He'll win. He's got to win."_

                Michael was walking into the center as the crowd hissed at him. He wore the same white shirt she'd last seen him in, the same dark blue jeans. Jenny couldn't believe it had been two weeks since she last saw him, but seeing him again suddenly rang it home. His dark hair curled into one eye, and he pushed it away, setting his jaw determinedly. The muscles in his arm pressed against his shirt sleeve as he gripped the sword in his hand. 

                "Oh Michael," she whispered, longing to be able to run out to him and whisk him away to safety. 

                Mari grabbed her hand. "Michael's a strong fighter. He'll win." But Jenny could hear the uncertainty in her voice. 

                Jenny nodded, even as tears stung her eyes.

                The man walking out to Michael was enormous – thick, beefy arms and no neck. He looked fairly old, but Jenny thought that might just be an effect of his bald head. He looked like a bouncer or bodyguard. A gigantic two-sided axe hung from one hand as he walked. He grinned when he saw Michael, and bared sharp teeth. Silver light glowed in his eyes.

                Michael lifted the sword, holding it in two hands in front of him. He lifted his chin in defiance, and jerked his head, telling the vampire to bring it on.

                Jenny gasped as the vampire roared and lunged at Michael, axe held over his head. He swung it down toward Michael, and Michael rolled to the ground and to the left. The axe missed by mere inches, digging into the dirt where Michael had been standing. A second later and Michael was back on his feet again, swinging the sword at the vampire. The vampire towered over Michael – who was in no way short – by at least six inches, but his size made him slow. The sword caught him in the back of the thigh, and he screamed. 

                With a swing of his arm, the vampire's fist smashed into Michael's chest, knocking him backwards into the ground. The sword went flying. 

                Laughing, the vampire pulled the axe out of the dirt and stalked toward Michael, who was lying on the ground looking stunned.

                "Michael!" Jenny shrieked, even though she knew he probably couldn't hear her. 

                As the vampire stood over him, lifting the axe again, Michael scowled and swung his leg out. He hit the vampire in the ankle and swept his feet out from under him. The vampire crashed to the ground, the axe beside him. As he reached for the axe, Michael jumped to his feet and kicked it away. Then he sat on the vampire and began punching him in the face. 

                It worked for about 10 seconds. The vampire just laid there, his nose broken by one of Michael's punches. Then he grabbed Michael around the neck with one enormous hand. He sat up, growling. Michael clawed at the hand as his face turned red, but couldn't get away. 

                The vampire stood, lifting Michael off the ground one-handed. The crowd roared as he spun in a circle, Michael swinging in the air as he turned. 

                Jenny covered her eyes, unable to watch. 

                Then… "Yes!" Mari exclaimed, and Jenny peeked between her fingers. Michael had managed to kick the vampire in the groin, and was now standing on his own two feet, coughing. The vampire kneeled, his face grimacing with pain. 

                For one second, Michael turned his face toward Jenny, and she met his eyes. He nodded, then walked over to the sword lying in the dust a few feet away. The vampire looked up as Michael strolled up to him, a smile on his face.

                "Game over," Jenny heard him say, and he ran the sword through the vampire's heart. The vampire's mouth opened in an astonished 'O,' and he collapsed on his side. Instantly, his body shriveled in on itself. 

                The crowd booed and hissed as Michael raised his arms in triumph. As two guards led him back to the entrance, he looked at Jenny and winked. 

                "Oh, thank God," she whispered, and sank to her knees. Mari sat down beside her, head hanging. 

                "I don't know if I can handle any more of this," Mari said, pushing her hair off her forehead and sighing. 

                Jenny shook her head. "Me either."

                "And it's only just begun."__


	31. chapter 31: resolve

**(Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, and then I ended up rewriting a large part of it. So I hope this version is okay. :-P It's longer than usual. And for those of you who've been waiting, a certain dark vampire reappears. *grin***

**Robin: I'm glad you like where the story's going! I was really uncertain about that last chapter. Then again, I'm uncertain about this chapter too... bah. :-p And I'm glad you think my response to Jewel was good… I was sure how it would come off sounding. **

**Candika: Thanks. lol. I always like getting wows. *grin***

**Adelaide**** E: That's funny you should mention the fighting dogs. Originally, *waaaay* back when I started the story, that had been my original plan… That the vampires would be betting on them and stuff… But somewhere along the way it changed, and I decided this would be better. :-P And we can only hope Jenny and Mari will kick some ass... ;-)**

**jennatar: Wow, five hours?! I'm glad you like my story enough to spend that much time on it! lol. I'm glad you like it though. And I'm trying to finish it believe me. I had hoped to have it done by now, actually, but then I got sick for a while, and then I got caught on what I wanted to happen next. :-p So hopefully, the end will be soon.**

**Redaura: Sorry I'm not updating fast enough for you... lol… I'm trying, honestly. As for Michael… Well, since he won, he'll get another chance later on to fight for his life later on, I'm sure. That's how it works, I believe. Maybe next time, he won't make it though… Won't know till it happens. *wink* And who _wouldn't hate Hunter? lol. Although, I don't yet know who, if any of them, is going to be doing the dying. Although I'm sure the good guys will try their best to win. *grin*_**

**Spunky: Glad you didn't expect the games. That's what I was hoping for. Something different. Hopefully this helps shake off some of The Chosen comparisons… I never meant for it to be _anything like The Chosen. And Julius Caesar was just a last-minute inspiration. Hope it isn't too far-fetched. Lol. As for your question.. Can't tell you that. ;-)_**

**The Cat: Wow, getting violent, aren't we? lol. I'm glad you're back and you like how it's going! I'll try to keep updating!**

**Thanks everyone!)**

***Chapter 31***

**                The fights became a blur, almost always ending with the same result – Jenny's group of abductees being killed off one by one. She couldn't bear to watch, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She sat on the ground, staring through the bars of her cage, wide-eyed. Every time someone went out there, she prayed for it to be one of them that won. With the wins stacking up against them, she found herself wondering how Hunter would end up with a single winner among all the Night People left. **

                Most of the Executioners had gone already – and been victorious, thankfully. Jenny had never been so glad to be a vampire hunter. It gave them the experience they needed to survive here.

                She had been a little worried about Carl, the least experienced of them, but he'd taken to the fight well, and his past forays into boxing definitely helped him. He was strong and fast, and in the end overcame the bear shapeshifter he was up against.

                Mari had yet to go, and the two of them cast worried glances at each other every time the guards appeared to gather another person. Jenny felt fairly certain that she and Mari were both good enough to beat whatever they went up against – they'd made it this far, after all – but she couldn't help but worry.

                Still, Jenny needed to come up with a plan. Hunter was never going to let them live past these 'games.' She knew that. They needed to get out of here before the end. She just didn't know how. All she knew for sure was she couldn't do anything locked inside this cage. 

                Finally, it was her turn. A guard pointed at her as he unlocked the door, and her heart leapt into her throat. She had no choice but to follow him, her hands tied in front of her. Mari gave her a small smile as Jenny walked past her. 

                A fight was still going on, and the guard quickly led her along the side wall to the entrance. He stopped in the room just beyond. Apparently, this was their 'staging area.' The cheers of the crowd rumbled under here, and goosebumps rose on her skin. She closed her eyes, trying to focus.

                The focus shattered as someone spoke behind her.

                "I'll keep an eye on her," a deep voice said. Her eyes flew open. 

                The guard, who had been anxiously looking toward the entrance with every cheer, nodded and took off to watch. 

                Setting her jaw, Jenny spun around. "You!" she hissed.

                Damian smiled and nodded. "Who else? Did you miss me?"

                Anger rose inside of her. "Yeah, about like I miss the chicken pox I had when I was 6, or the pneumonia when I was 11… Or any other _disease." _

                Another guard standing a few feet away snickered. Damian ignored him. She thought his smile stiffened for a moment, but then it grew wider. "You might wish for those after we're done with you." He opened his mouth, flashing his teeth at her.

                She glowered at him, wishing he'd just sink into the earth and die. 

                But at the same time… Her heart pounded faster at the sight of him. God, he looked good. Her heart wrenched helplessly. She hadn't seen him in days, and his skin seemed to give off an exotic glow. His body, she knew, was strong and lean under the black pants and tight black shirt he wore. His mouth soft and sensual under high, delicate cheekbones. His dark hair was mussed, but not messy, and she longed to run her hands through it. And those eyes, right now a smoky purple flowing around bright blue – she felt like they pierced her soul.

                _Stop it, her inner voice cried. __Don't think like that! He's your enemy. If you don't hate him, you're crazy. If you had the chance to kill him, you would._

_                And yet… Despite his taunting words, the way he was gazing at her made her weak in the knees. Something behind his eyes … a longing almost, not related to killing._

                _No, she thought. __I'm seeing things. Forget him. It's over … _

                "We'll see who bleeds tonight," she said in a low, even voice. She turned her back on him. Just because he was 'keeping an eye on her' didn't mean she had to talk to him. 

                Despite her tough words, though, even when she turned away from him, the longing remained. It would probably always be there. 

                Just then, two guards came in, carrying a body. A girl, her long brown hair dragging in the dirt. Tears of anger welled up in Jenny's eyes, and she shook her head.           

                "Your turn!" one of the guards told her with a chuckle as they passed. Damian pushed her forward and she began walking despite the sudden feeling of lead in her shoes. 

                The crowd booed and hissed as she re-entered the light of the stadium. She squinted against the sudden brightness. Damian stopped her almost in the middle as a vampire strode confidently out the other side.

                Damian stepped in front of her, meeting her eyes as he untied her hands. The soft brush of his fingers on her wrists made her whole arm tingle. She tried to ignore it. He held her gaze, opened his mouth, then closed it again and turned away. He dropped a wooden knife a few feet from her and walked off. Jenny resisted the urge to turn and watch him go. 

                The other vampire was standing about 50 feet away, spinning around and laughing with his arms in the air. He looked strong, but his weakness was obvious.

                Jenny took the time to close her eyes, evening out her breath and drawing her thoughts together. She could do this – just focus. She could feel her strength building inside of her, her confidence returning to wrap her in a warm cocoon. She _could do this. _

                She opened her eyes, calm filling every inch of her. She walked slowly to the knife and knelt to pick it up, her eyes never leaving the vampire.

                He noticed her picking up the knife and grinned. Yes, he definitely thought a lot of himself. He had a knife too but stuck it in his waistband, clearly saying he didn't need it.

                Jenny smiled, and for a second his cocky grin slipped uncertainly. Only for a second, though. He wasn't terribly bright. Arrogance and stupidity were bad qualities if you wanted to live, and he appeared to have both.

                She held the knife in front of her, her legs automatically tightening in a fighting stance.

                "Well, what are you waiting for, Dracula?"

                She expected him to run at her; they usually did. Instead, he just grinned and walked slowly toward her. Okay, maybe he wasn't as dumb as she thought. 

                He began circling her, trying to intimidate her. She turned with him, narrowing her eyes at him. 

                "You know," she said, "Doing circles around me isn't going to keep me from killing you."          

                He laughed and tossed blond hair back. "You're a confident one, aren't you?" 

                "Only when I know I'm right."

                This seemed to amuse him, because his grin widened and he stopped circling her. "Not right. Dead."

                In a flash, he was on her, kicking the knife out of her hand and knocking her to the ground. She had a split second to think, _smooth move, Jenny, before his foot found her hand and stepped on it. She gasped as he ground it into the dirt with his heavy black boot. A second later, his other knee dug into her chest, pinning her down. _

                "Can't have you getting that back, now, can I?" He peered down at her as she struggled to knock him off of her.

                She glared at him. "What, afraid I might use it?"

                "It'd be fun to see you try."

                The pain in her wrist was reaching the screaming point; if she didn't do something fast, it was going to snap. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she gasped. The knee in her chest wasn't helping her breathe any.

                He flashed his teeth at her and lifted his foot to grab her wrist in his hand. He did the same with her other wrist. It was a big improvement – blood rushed back into her wrist. She'd probably have a bruise if she lived through this. 

                Holding her wrists, he straddled her, one knee on each side, and leaned in for her throat. 

                She waited until he was a few inches away, then slammed her head forward. Her forehead connected with his nose, and he cried out in pain, letting go of her hands to cover his nose. 

                "You bitch!" he cried.

                For a moment, light flashed across her vision, and she blinked against it. As soon as it was bearable, she used her non-sore hand to land a punch in his stomach. He gasped and rolled off of her, moaning something. 

                Jenny sprang to her feet, cradling the sore wrist in her other hand. "What was that? Didn't quite hear it." 

                As he struggled to his feet, she spun and caught him in the chest with a powerful kick. She felt on, despite an uncertain start. 

                The vampire was definitely mad as he picked himself off the ground again. Jenny glanced around for the knife, but knew it was too far away to reach before he came at her again. Instead, she waited until he stumbled at her, then threw herself to the ground at his feet. One foot caught in her side, and he tripped, spilling to the ground yet again. 

                She rolled to her feet and stood ready, catching her breath. It was then she noticed the crowd had gone quiet, and a thrill raced through her. Feeling sure of herself, she turned toward Hunter's booth. He watched her, a half smile on his face. Troy, on the other hand, was scowling. Raina was smiling, nodding when she saw Jenny looking. Jenny raised her hand and pointed at Troy, an angry smile stretching across her face. For a moment, he almost looked surprised, then he narrowed his eyes at her and winked. 

                The thrill disappeared with that wink. She was terrified of him, and he knew it. And that made her even angrier, that he could see her fear. 

                She could hear the vampire getting up behind her, but didn't turn around. 

                "It's over," she whispered to herself. 

                With a roar, she spun around, surprising the vampire who had come up behind her. He paused a half second, and that was all she needed. She grabbed the knife out of his waistband, and as he looked at it in dumb surprise, shoved it into his heart. 

                "No," he gasped, just before he crumpled to the ground. 

                She kicked his body, rage washing over her. "I told you I was right."

                The Night people booed, and she began laughing. It was a high-pitched, hysterical laugh. She was going to lose it. Good ol' Jenny, losing it just when she needed to be strongest. Typical.

                Then she looked toward the cages and saw the remaining hostages, some sitting inside, many standing at the doors, their hands wrapped around the bars. The wave of hysteria stopped dead inside her, and retreated back where it had come. They all watched her, their desperation clearly written on their faces. They needed her. 

                Jenny didn't know what she could possibly do to help them, but cracking up wasn't going to help.

                She took a deep breath and turned toward the entrance in time to see Damian emerge, rope dangling from one hand. 

                "Thought you weren't going to make it for a minute there," he said as he retied her hands. 

                "Sorry to disappoint you," she muttered. He lifted his eyes to hers, and again she thought she saw something in them. 

                He finished tying the rope – not as tightly, it seemed – and led her back the way he had come. As they reached the darkness underneath, he stopped.

                "Great, back to the cage," she mumbled beneath her breath. 

                If he heard her, he didn't show it. He was looking at the one other guard in the room. The guard had picked up a large axe-looking weapon and was examining it. Then, he strode through the entrance.

                As soon as he was gone, Damian spun back to her, a knife suddenly in his hand. 

                "H-hey, Damian, what are you doing?" Jenny backed up, her eyes wide. 

                Without pausing, he swung the knife at her, and she closed her eyes instinctively. When she felt nothing after a few seconds, she opened them again. Her hands were now free of the rope. "What…" she began. 

                Damian grabbed her arm and shoved her toward the back of the room. "Go. Quick. That way." He dragged her along with him, looking over his shoulder every few seconds. They ran down a long corridor which split in two. He took the left branch and they began running uphill. 

                "Damian, I can't breathe," she gasped. She was still sore from her fight, and exhaustion was threatening to overcome her. He glanced back at her, then pulled her off to the side where a wide crack in the wall led into a small enclosed room.

                He let go of her, and she leaned over, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Damian peered out through the crack, then turned to her. 

                She stood, brushing her hair out of her face, finally having time to be confused and angry. She wasn't about to forget that he'd betrayed her.  "Damian, what's…"

                She didn't finish her sentence before he grabbed her face in his hands and pulled her mouth to his. 

                _Oh hell._

                His lips, soft and warm, pushed against hers with an urgency she had never felt from him, especially not lately. She closed her eyes and leaned against him. She couldn't feel his mind clearly – that apparently only worked with sharing blood now – but her whole body felt alive, rejoicing. One hand wove in her hair, while the other wrapped around her waist and pulled her tight against him. 

                "Oh God, Jenny," he whispered between kisses. 

                _I knew it! a voice rose up triumphantly inside her. __I knew he still loved you! _

                She squashed it and pulled away from him. "No," she said firmly, although she didn't know if it was directed to Damian or herself. 

                "Jenny…" Damian whispered, reaching for her. She backed away, shaking her head. 

                "No," she repeated. "I already told you, I want nothing to do with you." Her resolve tightened around her heart, plugging the leaks that urged her to run back into his arms. Unexpectedly, tears filled her eyes. "We can't be together… ever," she whispered.

                Hurt swam in his violet eyes. He reached for her again, then pulled his hand back. "I don't understand."

                She turned so she wouldn't have to face him directly and looked at the ground.  A week ago, she'd been weak. She would have gone to him. But after all she'd been through, she couldn't do it anymore. _Damian made her weak, and she should never have allowed it to go that far. If it wasn't for letting herself feel for him, she – and maybe the rest of the gang – wouldn't be in this situation. He was a vampire. She was human – a vampire hunter. It just couldn't happen. Not in the real world. She had avoided thinking about him the three days she'd been in the cell, but all the same, her heart had hardened against him. Some part of her still existed that wanted him – the soulmate part, she supposed – but she knew now that she had to fight it. She knew what she had to do._

                Damian spoke again, his hurt clear. "I'm so sorry, Jenny. I never meant to hurt you. But… I had to, or they would have caught on." When she said nothing, he pushed on. "I had to pretend. It was the only way to find out what was going on. I thought if I got them to trust me, I could get Ashton and the others out of here."

                Jenny closed her eyes against the turmoil duking it out inside her. His voice… It drew her to him with its helplessness. She could sense desperation building behind his words, and she wanted to make it go away. _No, she told herself. __He's baggage. The worst kind. You can't survive with it._

                Before she realized it, he stood next to her, his hand gripping her elbow. That small touch made her breath catch, and she tried to focus on something else. Instead, she found herself meeting his eyes as he stared down at her. 

                Oh God, why'd he have to be so gorgeous?  She felt the depth of his eyes trying to pull her in, and she forced herself to blink. "No. It can't happen, Damian."

                He cringed. "Why, Jenny? Because of me being down here? I told you, it was a trick. Don't you believe me?"

                She paused a second, thinking, then nodded. "I believe you. That's not it. It's just…" She didn't know what to tell him about how she felt that wouldn't take all day. He gazed at her intently, waiting for her to continue. "It's just… You're a vampire. I'm a hunter. It can't be. We don't mix."

                His eyes widened. "You know that doesn't matter now… We're soulmates. We're _supposed to be together." His hand was gently caressing her elbow, sending shudders up her arm. If she didn't do something __fast, he was going to break down everything she'd just resolved. She had to get away from him._

                And she knew how to do it. But it would hurt him.

                _He's already hurt, and if you don't do something fast, you're__ going to end up hurt too, her inner voice reminded her. __Do it._

                She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at Damian, working to clear her face of emotions. "Besides… _I don't love you. And…" At that moment, she threw an image at him over the slight connection they had from being so close. An image of her and Michael kissing passionately – which had never happened except in her dream, but Damian didn't know that. _

                He jolted, as if something electrical had touched him, and pulled his hand away from her arm. She held her chin up and stared at him, trying not to react to the pain swimming clearly in his eyes. Then his face changed. It hardened, and he nodded.

                "I see," he said softly… and coldly. "Then I think you better leave."

                She nodded, turning toward the door. If she didn't look at him again, she would be fine. 

                "Jenny." She stopped at the door, her back to him, and waited for him to finish. His voice was low and flat, like he'd pushed all emotion out of it. "You never would have replaced Elizabeth."

                Her heart squeezed, and she closed her eyes for a second, because she knew he couldn't see. "Goodbye, Damian," she said softly, and walked out the door…

                Right into the arms of somebody else who was just walking up the tunnel. Jenny gasped as strong hands grabbed her arms, and looked up into bright red eyes. 

                "Well, what a pleasant surprise," a low voice said. 

                "Troy!" she gasped.


	32. chapter 32: faceoff

**(Author's note: I know, I know. This is really late. But believe me when I say that the last month has been kind of awful (mostly getting my wisdom teeth out, an extremely traumatic event for me. Ugh), and any inspiration I might have had completely deserted me. But, finally this chapter I've been working on all month is done, so I give it to you. I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm really going to try to get this finished soon. **

**Redaura: Wow, thanks for all the questions. Lets me know what I need to make sure gets answered. ;-) hehe. Anyway, Troy has that bad habit of springing out of nowhere. He's a bad guy, and bad guys are just good at that. As for Jenny and Damian, they are pretty fickle, aren't they? But that's okay, because they both have a lot to deal with here. *grin* Sorry about all the cliffhangers, but they always feel like the right way to end a chapter. Hopefully this chapter isn't *quite* as cliffhangery, but it's kind of hard to not have cliffhangers during continuous action. **

**Mandy: Yeah, Jenny can't seem to make up her mind. But trust me when I say that by the end of the story, everything will be decided for good. What that decision is, I can't tell you, of course, 'cause then I'd have to kill you. *wink* Some rear ends will be kicked, though. Hehe. And thanks for the ch. 30 review. BTW, there _is a Roman times fanfic – check out Moreta's 'Flame of Rome' if you haven't already by now. It's amazing. _**

**Candika: Thanks!**

**Adelaide**** E: Nope, no law against reader angst. Sorry. lol. But angst is a good thing, because it means I did what I intended to. Troy is kind of a pain, always popping up at inopportune times, huh… hehe. Hopefully, he'll get his in the end.**

**The Cat: Thanks for not threatening me, even though threats occasionally work. Hehe. **

**Dragon Fire: I'm sure many people would like to tell Jenny that. lol. **

**Anonymous: Hopefully you know who you are, because I don't. lol. You forgot to put a name. But I'm glad you like the story!**

**Spunky: Actually, you weren't wrong – just read this chapter. ;-)**

**Laney: I leave it at Troy a lot, don't I? He's just a cliffhanger kind of guy. lol. I'm glad you liked the chapter!! **

**Littlemissgiggles: Well, I hope you didn't cry because the next chapter definitely was not up soon. But I'm glad you like it!**

**Baloo****: Wow, Miss-Let's-Leave-a-Lot-of-Reviews. ;-) Hehe, not that I'm complaining. Good to hear from you again. Umm, to sum up… I'm glad you were rooting for Michael, because he wasn't meant to be a "hate with all my energy" kind of guy. lol. As for wanting to bitch-slap Damian, well… How do you think Jenny felt? ;-) I'll let him know you'd like to have a little talk with him though. Hehe. Uh.. You weren't *really* angry at me for him saying that, were you? Just checking… Anyway, I've been meaning to email you, and I saw you added a new chapter to Resurrection! So I promise that within the next few days (ie. Week), I will write you with my thoughts on it! **

**Lestat: Tsk, tsk. Threaten much? lol. I'm glad you like it, though. Sorry it took so long!**

**Soraia: Wow, I'm glad I told you about the rest of my chapters. Your comments are so flattering. Makes me feel good. Thanks! I hope this chapter doesn't let you down! And I promise, sometime soon I will try to get around to reading and commenting on your SC story.**

**Thanks everyone!!)**

***Chapter 32***

                "How do you do that, just appear out of nowhere all the time?" Jenny blurted. A second later, she wished she hadn't said it.

                "Talent," he said, a sly grin sliding across his face.    

A shiver coursed down her body in reaction to his smile. She didn't know what it was about him that scared her to death, but having him touch her made her want to tear her own arms off.

                _Because he's totally psycho! her inner genius volunteered. _

                She fought to free herself from his grip, but it only made him hold on tighter. "Let go of me," she found herself demanding. To her surprise he did. Not that she could go anywhere with his three muscle-bound cronies surrounding her. Surprised, she took a step back, stepping on the foot of the vampire behind her. 

                "Can I eat her?" the vampire asked. 

                That smile again. "Definitely not," Troy said. "This one's mine."

                "Gee, that's great to know." Jenny's churning stomach was in competition with her pounding heart for 'Body part most likely to explode.'          

                She heard footsteps behind her, and Troy lost his smile. "Silverwind. Good timing as usual." Even in her getting-ready-to-panic state, Jenny didn't miss the sarcasm. "What say you and I have ourselves a little snack?"

                Jenny didn't turn to look at Damian – no way was she turning her back on Troy – but she wished she could see the expression on his face as he spoke.

                "Go ahead, drain her. Make the world a better place." 

                Troy didn't hide the surprise on his face fast enough for Jenny to miss it. "Are you saying you _want me to kill your little tramp soulmate?" His voice was teasing, but backed by seriousness._

                A pause, then Damian said, "I don't have a soulmate. There's no such thing."

                Jenny couldn't help feeling a little hurt at that, even though it was her fault. She had pushed him away, and she still felt it was the right thing to do. Still … shouldn't he at least make some sort of attempt at rescuing her? 

                Amusement flickered on Troy's face. "I guess I misjudged your strength, Silverwind. I admire that. I see I wasn't wrong letting you into my guard." He smiled cheerfully, and Jenny suddenly realized Troy didn't know Damian had been with her. 

                His attention had been fully on Damian for a minute, and Jenny decided to take a chance. With his eyes diverted, she snapped up her foot and caught him just under the chin. Then, in one fluid move, she rounded behind her with her elbow, digging it into the stomach of the vampire behind her. 

                She wasn't fast enough. The other two vampires were on her the second the air left their companion. They grabbed her from either side and held her firmly. She lashed out at their legs unsuccessfully, resulting in them stepping on her feet so she couldn't kick. 

                Troy walked up to her, rubbing his chin with one hand. His eyes swirled red and silver, reminding Jenny of mercury. "Now that wasn't very nice," he said, the smile gone from his face. Calmly controlled rage had taken over instead. "For that, I won't be very nice to you."

                "You son of a bitch!" she spat at him, struggling against her captors. Her feet were falling asleep under the vampires' weight.

                "Yes, well, that may be true, although I don't remember her." He nodded at the vampire behind Jenny, the one she'd elbowed, and something smashed into the back of her head. Her vision faded in and out for a second, and she closed her eyes, trying to fight it.

                "Thanks," she gasped. "It's always good to get a nice head beating."   

                Troy turned his eyes on her, and her mouth went dry. She stared at him, trying frantically to think of a way out of this. For the first time, she noticed the pendant he wore around his neck was really a silver key. He laughed. "Oh yes, I'm quite tired of you. And quite thirsty."

                Jenny thought she might have had tears in her eyes, if Troy hadn't scared them all dry. 

                He reached up and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look sideways. She jerked her head away, and he held her head sideways with a palm on her cheek. With her head at this angle, she could see Damian standing behind her to the right. She met his gaze, and with her eyes she begged him to help her. He didn't move, only staring at her. Or rather, through her, it seemed. Jenny didn't know if he was even seeing anything that was going on. He stared into space, his mind elsewhere. _This is all my fault, she thought._

                "Oh, God," she whispered as Troy leaned toward her exposed neck. 

                She squeezed her eyes shut, every thought fleeing from her mind except the feel of Troy's hand on her cheek. Strange. She'd always thought that when you were about to die, your mind flooded with images of your life, things you never did that you'd always wanted to, the people you loved. That's what always happened in movies. But apparently she wasn't Hollywood material – all she could think of was Troy about to drink the life out of her. What a terrible last thought. It sucked – pardon the pun. She felt his lips brush her skin.

                "Sir!" someone yelled, and her eyes flew open. The hand on her face disappeared, and her breath escaped her all at once. Impulsively, she rubbed her neck on her shoulder, trying to erase the feel of Troy's touch. 

                Someone was running down the tunnel, motioning wildly with his hands. Jenny realized with a shock that it was Damian's friend from the club, the one who'd been guarding the door to Troy's room, Toby. His eyes lit with excitement, he skidded to a stop in front of Troy. 

                "It's time," he said breathlessly. "The guard has changed." 

                "Excellent," Troy said, and even though Jenny couldn't see his face, she had a feeling he was smiling. "Thank you, Toby. You may go now."

                Toby grinned and pushed hair out of his eyes. He turned to go, then stopped when he noticed Troy's captive. "Hey, Damian. Looks like your girlfriend is a bit of a fighter, huh?"

                Damian snorted behind Jenny, but didn't say anything. 

                "Just go, Toby," Troy ordered. Toby went, with one last grin at Jenny.

                Troy turned back to Jenny, not smiling, but definite amusement in his eyes. "You got lucky. I guess I don't have time for a snack after all."

                "I'm _so disappointed," Jenny deadpanned, narrowing her eyes at him._

                "Oh, but you'll still get your chance at fun. I'd say any minute now."

                Before Jenny could reply, he spun and started back down the tunnel. A snap of his fingers over his shoulder was all it took for the guards to start dragging her along after him. She would have struggled if the guards' grips on her upper arms weren't cutting off her circulation. Instead, she turned to look over her shoulder at Damian, who was walking easily alongside the other guard.

                "Damian," she hissed. "We can take these guys. There are only three!" 

                "Quiet," one guard warned, trying to force her to look forward again. She fought him, keeping her eyes on Damian. 

                "We can!" she tried again.

                Damian looked at her, and the expression in his eyes chilled her blood. Anger swirled in them, more anger than she'd ever seen in him. Anger and … hate? He sneered at her. "Why?" he asked, coldly.

                Her heart sank, and she turned forward again, trying to ignore the wetness forcing its way across her vision. _All my__ fault, she found herself thinking again. She had expected him to be angry with her, even __meant him to be. She hadn't expected him to let her die. _

***********

                Troy motioned to the guards to keep Jenny underneath the stadium while he disappeared through a doorway. At the entrance to the stadium, Jenny could see the box where Hunter still sat, enjoying the fight going on. Raina, a few seats down from him, blatantly pulled at her chains. The guards around her just watched her in amusement as she said things to them that Jenny imagined couldn't be repeatable in decent company. 

Then Troy emerged behind them, stepping down next to Hunter and murmuring something in his ear. A smile broke out on Hunter's face, and he stood, motioning to the guards positioned on the dirt floor of the arena to end the current fight. The human boy who'd been out there came back underneath, a relieved expression on his face. 

                All eyes turned to Hunter as he stepped to the front of the box and raise a hand for silence.

                "It seems," he began with a smile. "That something interesting has come up. One of our fighters tried to get away." The crowd booed, knowing that was the reaction he wanted. "I think she should be punished. How do you feel about that?" Cheers, of course. "But I'm sure you're all getting a little bored with fight after fight of the same old thing. I propose something different, something… more interesting." He paused to let the crowd wait in anticipation. Jenny had to give him credit; he knew how to work people. He didn't get to be on the council for his humanity, that was for sure. 

                Troy, at Hunter's side, gestured toward the entrance, and the guards began pushing her out toward the middle again.

                "Hey, I've already been here. Let's see something different," she protested, despite her heart feeling like it was going to explode from fear. They stopped in the middle, the guards letting go of her and retreating the way they came. Jenny lifted her eyes to gaze at the crowd around her, feeling them watching her, the hatred pressing down on her. 

                Hunter continued. "I'm going to have one of my guards, Mr. Silverwind there, join the fun," he said, and Jenny turned her head to look behind her. She hadn't realized Damian had come out too. 

                Not good, her mind murmured. Not good at all.

                "You see, we've had doubts about his loyalty. It seems he may have an … affection for the girl," Hunter's distaste at the situation was obvious. "I feel the need for him to prove himself to us_. Show us that he's truly on our side by taking out this little nuisance." The crowd gasped in excitement as one, and all feeling drained out of Jenny's body. He couldn't be serious._

                But he was serious. Jenny should have seen it coming. This sort of thing appealed to Hunter's twisted little mind. She whirled around to look at Damian, who was staring at Hunter, his eyes narrowed in anger. 

                "You're dead, Redfern," she heard him murmur. As if he'd heard him, Hunter looked at Damian and smiled. 

                "Of course," Hunter continued, not taking his eyes from his staredown with Damian. "All he has to do is kill the girl and we'll know for sure where his loyalties lie. If not… They can both die." And with that, he sat back down again, and all eyes turned on the two standing in the middle.

                Jenny gaped. This couldn't be happening… It was one thing to fight an evil vampire, totally another to fight… him. 

Damian turned to her and narrowed his eyes. Jenny backed away, smiling nervously. 

"Damian. You're not serious. You can't be."

He raised an eyebrow as he stalked toward her. "Why not? You said yourself we can never be together. Might as well end it now and get it over with."

                She kept backing away from him, her eyes jumping from him to Hunter to the exit. Her mind raced in circles, unable to focus on a plan of action. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

                A grim smile. "They'd kill us both if we didn't fight. Might as well take the opportunity to get out of here alive."

                "But…" Whatever she was going to say got lost, because at that moment her heel struck something and she tumbled backward to the ground. Instincts still protesting that this wasn't happening, she lay on the ground a moment, staring at Damian dazedly as he knelt at her feet and picked up whatever she'd tripped on. 

                It was a spear. A giant, _sharp wooden spear. Another one lay next to it, and he kicked it toward her. _

                Her eyes widened as he suddenly brought the spear down an inch from her head, burying the tip in the dirt. 

                Something clicked in Jenny's mind as the crowd cheered, and the sluggishness and confusion suddenly swept away. Instinct took over, and she gritted her teeth. "Alright, have it your way then," she growled as he pulled the spear out of the ground. 

                She had time to register surprise on his face before she rolled to her side and kicked him in the ankle, knocking him off balance. His eyes flashed silver and he held the spear in front of him. "Bring it on then."

                Despite still being sore from her previous fight, Jenny felt energy surging through her. Adrenaline coursed through her, filling her with strength. She rolled to her feet, snatching up the other spear as she did it. They stood staring at each other for a moment, spears held in front of them. 

                Rage flooded through her. How dare he try to kill her! she thought irrationally. Just because she didn't want to be with him was no reason for him to get violent. Well, she would be damned if she was going to let him get away with it. She wasn't going down without a fight.

                "You want a fight, you got it," she growled.

                Something flickered in his eyes, and he smiled, slow and calculated. "Don't think I'll go easy on you. I'm not ready to die just yet."

                "Yeah? Me either." As she spoke, she swung the spear at him. Effortlessly, he blocked her. Jenny had never really trained with this type of weapon, but instinct took over. The next few minutes were a blur of swings and blocks, their gazes locked. She ignored the pain that flared up in her sore wrist every time she took a swing.

                Then, just as she thought she was getting the best of him, the inexplicable happened. He knocked the spear out of her hands. It flew off somewhere behind her, and she froze, arms out in front of her.

                For a moment, they just stared at each other, she wide-eyed and Damian with a triumphant grin. It was the moment of truth – would he really kill her? She really hoped he wouldn't.

                "What are you going to do now?" he asked cheerfully, his eyebrows raised.

                "I'll think of … something." He swung at her as she spoke, and she ducked, diving to the ground. He stabbed the spear into the ground as she rolled out of the dive, missing her side by mere inches.

                She grimaced and kicked a leg at him, connecting with his hip and sending him stumbling backward. At the same time, he stabbed at her with the spear, and it grazed her upper arm. For a second, she stared at the blood welling up, then she jerked her head up to glare at him, eyes blazing. He stood clenching the spear, looking vaguely surprised. Then he narrowed his eyes and stabbed again. She dodged it this time, shooting her hand out to grab it as he pulled it back. She couldn't yank it out of his hands, but she wouldn't let go either. 

                 Their eyes met, and for a second she thought he was going to let go. Instead, he pushed the spear toward her, and the tip grazed her side. She gasped at the sudden pain but didn't take her eyes off him. She let go of the spear and spun around, finding hers lying in the dust about 20 feet away. 

                She ran toward it, but before she got there a fist smashed into her back, knocking her to the ground. Damian planted a foot between her shoulder blades, pinning her down. Gasping, she tried to grab the foot, but her arm didn't bend at that angle. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him staring down at her. 

                The crowd cheered, yelling at him to finish it. 

                She closed her eyes a second and rested her chin on the ground. Her mind whirled, turning over possible next moves. At the back of her thoughts, she wondered why he _hadn't finished it yet. When she opened her eyes again, something caught her eye. The spear, __her spear, was lying in front of her, no more than two feet away. _

                "What …" she murmured. Damian had left it there. He could have knocked it away, but he hadn't. 

                She didn't have time to consider it because Damian dug his heel farther into her back.

                In one fluid motion, she grabbed the spear and swung it behind her. Awkwardly, but it worked because she made contact with something.

                Damian grunted and the pressure on her back lifted. She rolled over to see Damian holding a hand to his forehead. She jumped to her feet. 

                "Oops, did I get you?"

                He narrowed his eyes at her and threw the spear at her. 

                She gasped as she jumped to the side. The spear whistled by her and stuck in the ground.

                Before she could react, Damian dove at her, tackling her to the ground. The air whooshed out of her lungs. He pinned his arm across her throat and she gagged.

                "Damian," she gasped, feeling her face turning bright red.

                He leaned in toward her, as if going for her throat. She closed her eyes. This was it, she thought. She seemed to find herself in this position a lot lately. But not anymore. It was all over now. She felt his breath on her throat.  

                To her surprise, he spoke softly in her ear.

                "You're too overconfident, that's your problem. You're not focusing enough." 

                Jenny opened her mouth, and Damian stopped her. "No, don't say anything. This has to look real. They have to think I'm draining you." Thankfully, he eased the arm off her throat.

                She closed her mouth again and stared at the dark hair brushing the back of his neck as he spoke in her ear. Every time she thought she knew what was going on, Damian did something to wrench that perception into something entirely different. He constantly surprised her. Even after pushing him away – and hurting him – he still tried to help her. 

                _But what about what he said about __Elizabeth__? Her mind whirled, trying to decide if he was just being nice and trying to save her, or if he'd only been pretending to be angry with her. His anger had seemed genuine, but then again so had his hatred when she'd thought he'd betrayed her. __Hell, he probably just feels sorry for you, she thought._

                If they got out of here alive, she was going to have a long talk with him.

                The crowd continued to shout and cheer at Damian, but Jenny no longer heard it. Instead, all she could focus on was the closeness of Damian, and how badly she wanted to apologize for what she'd said to him. Her entire body tingled with his nearness, and his breath on her neck gave her goosebumps. 

                "I'm going to bite you, Jenny," he breathed. "But only enough so they can see that I bit you. Then I need you to pretend to be dead. I doubt they'll check your pulse. Just stay still until they carry you out of here, and then get away."

                She nodded her head slightly, then gasped at the slight sting as Damian's teeth pierced her skin. She could feel her blood pulsing throughout her body, being drawn toward the wound. Then, just as quickly, it was over. 

                Damian brushed his lips slightly against her throat as he lifted his mouth to her ear, and a shudder raced down her spine. 

                "Okay, stay still. Try not to breathe too much." 

                And with that, he stood, brushing off his hands on his pant leg. Jenny stared at the high ceiling, fighting the urge to look toward Hunter and Troy, and held her breath. 

                Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Damian moving toward Hunter's box. 

                "Happy?" he asked. 

                Hunter stood, leaning his hands against the waist-high wall in front of him. Jenny couldn't see him clearly, but she got the distinct impression that he was examining her. 

                _Don't move, she warned herself. __Don't even breathe._

_                Playing dead was something new to her, but she must have been doing it right, because Hunter seemed to accept it. Two guards began walking toward her from the side. _

                "Very well. I suppose I underestimated you, Silverwind," Hunter said. "I will let you live."

                Damian bowed dramatically. "Thank you, sir."

                The guards reached Jenny. One grabbed her under her arms, and that other grabbed her legs. They lifted her, blocking her view of Hunter just as Troy stepped up next to him, and began moving her toward the staging area. Jenny poured all her energies into staying limp, so she almost missed what happened next. 

                Troy put a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "You let him live, sir," he said in a voice loud enough to carry throughout the stadium, but not loud enough to cover the sound of a hundred guards moving into place. "But I can't let _you live."_


	33. chapter 33: conflict

**(Author's Note: Okay, one more chapter after this, and I'm done (Yes, I said 35, but it turns out to be 34)! Whoo hoo! About time! Anyway, what do you think about this? Does it all happen too fast? Let me know! **

**Dragon Fire: Hehe, you know, calling Jenny names isn't going to make her change her mind. ;-) Although, having her mistaken for dead might have been kind of fun. But it would've made my plans a little more difficult. **

**Mandy: Hope this chapter makes you feel better about Troy. *wink* As for Jenny and Damian, that will have to wait until next chapter (mwahaha!). I'm glad you like it still though!**

**Adelaide**** E: Haha, you made me laugh with your comment about Troy being 'unerringly inconvenient' and 'a  little bastard too.' *snicker* I'm glad you thought Damian was really a bad guy, though. I wasn't sure how believable it was. :-p And I had to do it; the story would be boring otherwise. lol. Glad you liked the chapter though! (oh, and thanks about my wisdom teeth. Ugh. Thankfully, they're finally all healed up again.)**

**Leopardess: Whew, I'm so glad you thought the games idea was good. I was worried about that. And after I'd endured people thinking it was a blood feast and an unoriginal copy of The Chosen the whole story… Okay, so nobody said that but I know people were thinking it, and I so wanted to say, "No, wait, it's this…". lol. I was hoping to prove my 'originality' here. :-P Caesar was just a fun idea. Who can prove otherwise? hehe. I'm glad you liked all the plot twists. I like to be twisty if I can pull it off. Is that a word? lol. **

**Spunky: Sorry to make you wait so long for this chapter. I promise the next (and last) chapter will come much sooner. But I'm glad you're waiting! :- )**

**Redaura****: Haha, blaming Troy for cliffhangers. Poor evil guy. Although he does appear in a lot of those cliffhangers. Hmm… I'm really glad you like the story so much though! Makes me feel good. As for what Jenny does in the end… Well, I'm not taking requests, but I'll keep it in mind. ;-)**

**Laney: Yeah, calling me an evil, evil person isn't going to make me write faster. lol. But I'm glad you like the story enough to feel the need to beg. **

**The Cat: Sorry I didn't post ASAP. Guess the threats didn't work. *grin* I honestly wanted to update, but I was kinda stuck. I knew what I wanted to happen, but I couldn't get myself to actually do it. :-p But here you go! At least *something* gets resolved in this chapter, although it's probably still considered a cliffhanger. **

**Maria: Well, I've tried talking some sense into Jenny, but she just doesn't listen to me. So I guess we'll have to wait and see what she decides to do. ;-) Glad you like the story!**

**ArrA: Thanks! I have to defend the cliffhangers though… This story is a lot of continuous action, and it's really tough to break continuous action into chapters without having cliffhangers. So *there*. :-P lol. Sorry it took so long for me to update.**

**Baloo: Gah! I feel so guilty. I *still* haven't emailed you about Resurrection. *bad, bad!* Okay, I *promise* I will do it soon!! Really!! You believe me, right? lol. I'm glad you liked extra humor in the last part. To be totally honest, I didn't even really remember putting it in there. Not something I really do consciously – if I try, it's not humorous. Some writing sessions I'm just better at it than others. lol. I actually had to look back at the chapter to see what you were talking about. I think it's because I was in a good mood when I wrote it. Hehe.  And I know what you mean about inspiration. I had all this time, and I knew what I wanted to happen, and then I'd *think* about writing, and … blah. Couldn't do it. **

**Lulu: Thanks. :-D**

**Goss: Don't worry. It won't be six more months. Hopefully it won't be more than a few weeks at most before I get the last chapter out. :-p But jeez, why all the wrath toward Michael? He's not a bad guy. lol. As for your idea on reincarnation… I really don't think so, since Damian's lamia and hasn't stopped aging, so he's Jenny's age. That makes the reincarnation thing impossible, unless you can reincarnate into an already living person. :-p And to be totally honest, I think I goofed up with the Damian/Elizabeth thing. I didn't mean that they were soulmates, and I didn't realize people would interpret the comment that way. I guess I need to rewrite that. They weren't soulmates, but they cared a lot about each other, and they probably had a close connection if they shared blood. Plus, Damian was exaggerating a bit, because being with Jenny reminded him of being with Elizabeth. He wasn't thinking. Ugh. Does that make sense? I was just trying to show that he was hiding something. Yeah… Anyway… lol. I'm glad you like the story, and long reviews are always welcomed. As for inflating my ego… too late! ;-) hehe. Oh, and while I remember, thanks for reviewing my story "Trust." (and to answer your question, no, there's no sequel. :-P)**

**Thanks everyone!!)**

***Chapter 33***

                The two guards carrying Jenny suddenly dropped her after Troy spoke, not even glancing at her when she gasped as she hit the floor. She rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself up on her hands and knees to watch Troy and Hunter. She didn't think anyone would care that she suddenly wasn't dead anymore. Everyone in the crowd was silent, staring at the two men.

                "I knew that bastard was going to do something like this," she muttered to herself. Troy just wasn't the type to take orders from anyone.

                Hunter turned to Troy, a smile on his face, and laughed. It wasn't his typical I'm-evil-and-I-know-it laugh. This laugh contained surprise, disbelief, and even a little amusement.

                "And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked Troy, his hand moving slowly toward his hip, where he no doubt had some kind of weapon hidden beneath his jacket. 

                "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Troy warned calmly. He nodded at Hunter's personal guard, and the guard held a dagger over Hunter's heart.

                Hunter looked down at the dagger, then threw his head back and laughed. 

                "Are you insane, Troy?" he asked when the laughter subsided. "You're threatening _me? What makes you think you could possibly get away with this? These are my people." He gestured widely at the audience. "And they will kill you in an instant."_

                "Wrong." That smile that gave Jenny goosebumps was back on Troy's face. "They're _my people now. And any that want to disagree with that can join you in Hell. It's time for you to retire from the Council, Redfern."_

                Hunter's smile faded, and Jenny could see the anger in his eyes even from this distance. "Make me," he said, his tone laced with menace.

                Troy shrugged. "Okay." He snapped his fingers and a dozen guards rushed up the stairs and surrounded Hunter. The crowd gasped as Hunter fought the guards. He managed to take out two of them, but after about a minute the guards had his arms tied behind him. His golden hawk eyes flared silver as he glared at Troy.

                "You're dead," he hissed.

                Troy raised an eyebrow. "Technically, aren't we all?" He turned his back on Hunter and faced the crowd. "A new era in Night World history begins tonight. As we speak, the weak among the council are being taken down. Only those who share our vision will be allowed to remain. No longer are we going to bow down to these pitiful humans, hiding in the shadows because some egotistical lamia think we should. We are the strongest, and we deserve to rule. Are you with me?" He raised his arms in the air, and a roar of cheers filled the room, sending vibrations through the dirt-packed floor. It didn't appear Troy would find too much opposition here. 

                He smiled and turned to Raina, who cowered against her bench, her eyes wide. "And what better way to signify this change in ideals than to make the ultimate change. Imagine the irony – the leader of a slayer gang ruling next to me as a vampire. A reminder to everyone about who is really the top of the food chain. Now, _that's fun." The crowd cheered again, although Jenny thought they'd probably cheer for anything at this point. _

                Troy nodded, and the two guards behind Raina began unlocking her chains. She shook her head frantically, trying to pull her arms away from them. "You bastard," she screamed.

                "Oh, you say that now, but trust me… In a while, you'll be perfectly … satisfied."

                The guards got her chains free and pushed her toward Troy. She tried to punch him, but he grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him. His teeth extended, and he sank his teeth into her throat. She screamed, but couldn't pull away from him.

                "No!" Jenny shouted, and ran toward the box. She didn't know what she would do when she got there; she just knew she couldn't stand here and let Troy drain Raina. 

                Damian caught her arm when she reached him and held her back. 

                "Jenny! No!" 

                She wrenched her arms out of his hand, but he only caught her again.

                "Jenny! You can't do anything. They'll kill you!" He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. 

                Tears blurred her vision, and she blinked furiously. "What do you think they're doing to _her? I can't just stand here!"_

                He pulled her to him and held her tightly. "I know," he murmured. "But we're seriously outnumbered. We can't do anything."

                At that moment, Troy must have loosened his grip on Raina's wrist, because she suddenly wrenched her arms free and pushed him backwards. She caught him by surprise, and his reflexes weren't fast enough to grab her again before she grabbed the key hanging around his neck and dove off the side of the box. 

                "Get her!" Troy yelled. Chaos erupted. Guards and spectators alike swarmed the field. Raina rolled to her feet near Jenny and Damian. 

                "This unlocks the cages," Raina gasped, green eyes flashing with determination despite the trickle of blood running down her neck. She tossed the little silver key to Jenny and collapsed to her knees again. 

                For a moment, their eyes met, and understanding flared between them. A swell of pride rose in Jenny's chest as she realized that Raina had been leader for a reason. She nodded and, with a quick glance at Damian, turned and sprinted toward the cages. 

                The captives all stood at the doors, waiting for her. Each door she opened revealed faces full of determination and strength. They no longer cowered in the corners, full of fear. This was their only chance, and they knew it. They were going to fight. For the first time since she'd arrived here, Jenny felt like they actually had a chance at getting out here alive. 

                Jenny raced from cage to cage, trying to get them open before the Night World mob reached them. She reminded them to stick together as they exited. By the time she got to the last cage, the arena floor was filled with the sound of shouts and punches. As the last captive exited the cage, Jenny turned around to find the rest of the Executioners standing behind her. Mari's face shown with confidence, and Gunther had that glint in his eyes that meant he was about to do some serious damage. Carl, who had been kidnapped the longest, looked a little worn around the edges, but Jenny could tell by his expression that he meant business. 

Tiffany stood next to Carl, and Jenny felt that same twinge of guilt for getting her into this. But Tiffany would fight, even if it meant her death. Even Ashton, standing pale and wide-eyed behind Tiffany, looked determined, although Jenny bet she'd never been in a fight in her life. Lastly, Michael stood watching her, his white shirt smudged with dirt and his hair mussed but looking stronger than ever. Jenny's heart swelled as she looked at all of them. This was her family, and she would do her best to get them out of her. 

                "Okay," Jenny said, pushing her hair out of her eyes and taking a deep breath. "There are weapons in that room over there. Let's get them and try to distribute them to these people. A lot of them won't last long barehanded."

                They started toward the room as a group, and none of the vampires attacked them. The staging room was clear of fighting, and the Executioners grabbed all the weapons they could find. Jenny found her arms loaded with wooden swords and knives, and felt instantly safer. 

                She looked around at the group and gave a small smile. In her mind, she sent up a prayer that they would all survive this.

                "Let's split up and get these things out there," Michael said, starting back toward the arena. Jenny nodded and followed him.

                "Be careful," Mari called out. 

                Jenny quickly lost the others in the throng, and it was better that way. She could concentrate better if she just focused on the job. She jogged around, tossing the weapons to those who looked like they needed it. She found Raina and handed her a dagger. Raina, wrestling with a blonde vampire woman, promptly stabbed the woman in the heart. She shot Jenny a grateful look. 

                "Thanks."

                Jenny nodded and moved on. She held the last weapon – a katana – in her hands. Time to do some damage of her own. To her left, a thin boy was trying to shake two vampires unsuccessfully. Jenny shoved the sword into one's back, then pulled it out and caught the other one in his chest as he turned to look at her. Both collapsed to the floor. 

                "Pair up with someone. It'll be easier," she told the boy, and he nodded.

                Just then, an arm wrapped around her neck from behind and pulled her back against a firm body. 

                "I knew you weren't dead," a voice breathed into her ear, and her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat, and she gasped. 

                _Oh God no. Anybody but him. _

                The arm tightened around her throat, cutting off her air. The katana fell from her hands. Dizziness overwhelmed Jenny, and she might have fallen if she wasn't being choked to death. 

                "I could break your puny little neck right now if I wanted to," Troy whispered. His lips brushed her ear, and she shuddered.

                "So what are you waiting for?" Jenny managed to gasp. 

                He chuckled. "Over too quickly. I'd like to give you a go, see how you'd really measure up against me. You caused this mess, ruined my show. Can you back it up?" 

                He let go of her and pushed her forward. She stumbled and caught herself, turning toward him as she sucked in air. "Just remember, you asked for it," she growled. Damn it if nearly being choked to death didn't piss her off. 

                Troy smiled. "Such a mouth. So full of confidence. It's almost a shame I have to kill you." He kicked her katana back to her, and she picked it up. Another wave of dizziness crashed over her, and she had to close her eyes for a moment. When it passed, she raised the katana. Even if she didn't survive this, if she at least took Troy with her, she could save so many other lives. That thought filled her with more strength than she thought she could have right now. 

                Troy shrugged off the black trenchcoat he always wore, revealing two swords sheathed at his hips. He slid them out and held one sideways so Jenny could see the intricate circular carvings at its base. 

                "Nice sword," she said, only because he waited for her to say it. 

                "They belonged to my grandfather. Many people died by these blades. If he had been a vampire, he could have ruled."

                "I'm so impressed." She rolled her eyes. God, she hated people who insisted on talking before fighting to the death. "Can we get on with this?"

                He leveled his creepy red eyes at her. "Of course." He held the swords at his side, one foot set back so he could move quickly. But he just stood there. 

                Damn. He was going to make her move first. She scowled. Well, today was as good a day as any to die. She darted forward and swung the katana at his head. As she expected, he countered with the sword in his right hand, knocking the blow away. Then, in a flash, he slashed her arm with the other sword before she could step back. 

                She cursed and backed away, glancing down at the red staining her shirt sleeve. This shirt had definitely seen better days. 

                Troy advanced on her, slashing the swords in wide circles, obviously showing off. Jenny kept her eyes on the blades, and when Troy sliced one at her, she was ready. The sword glanced off the katana as she brought it up to block. He immediately followed with the second sword, and Jenny ducked, rolling toward him and bringing the katana blade against his calf. Troy stumbled, then stabbed at her as she rolled away from him again. The blade caught the bottom of her shirt as she moved, pinning it to the ground and ripping through it. 

                Jenny glanced at the hole in the shirt and grimaced as she got to her feet again. The shirt was definitely destined for the trash heap.

                With Jenny's attention distracted by the shirt, Troy struck her in the left ankle with the blunt side of the sword. Sharp pain shot up her leg, and she cried out. Instinctively, she fell to her knees, dropping the katana and grabbing the ankle with both hands. 

                "Dammit!" she cried as her foot began going numb. She glanced up to find Troy standing over her and smirking. 

                "Oh, little slayer. You make this too easy. How have you survived so long?" His crimson eyes glowed brighter, like lava and fire, and his teeth extended over his lips. Her rapidly beating heart slowed suddenly as a chill raced through her body. 

                She scrambled back to her feet, trying to grab the katana on her way up, but her hands shook and she dropped it again. The numbness in her foot prevented her from backing away dignified-like, and she resorted to stumbling instead. 

                The light in Troy's eyes pulsed faster, and a thin line of silver began mixing into the blood-red. "It's been fun," he growled, and reached for her. 

                "Get away from her!" someone yelled. A blur of white ran between Troy and Jenny, sending one of Troy's swords flying into the dirt. The blur stopped, and Jenny blinked as she realized who it was.

                "Michael, no!" 

                Michael stood between her and Troy, his hands – weaponless hands – clenched into fists. Jenny tried to grab his shoulder and pull him back, but he shrugged her off. "Get back, Jenny."

                Troy smiled. "How sweet, a bodyguard." He took a step forward, and Michael tensed. 

                "Don't move, Troy, or I kill you."

                The smile grew wider. "With what? Your bare hands?" 

                Michael scowled, his dark eyes narrowed. "I'll use whatever I can. You're not touching her."

                "Michael," Jenny tried again. Michael waved her off. 

                "You're hurt, Jenny. Get away from here." He turned his head to look at her. For a moment their eyes met, and the look in Michael's made her heart skip a beat. He looked at her with an intensity she'd never seen before, and it made her want to gasp. "Go," he repeated firmly.

                It was then that the tip of the sword appeared through Michael's right shoulder. Michael's eyes widened, and he turned back to Troy, whose hand still curled around the handle of the sword. 

                Jenny blinked, confused for a moment as blood started forming around the sword tip. Then Michael took a step backward, Troy let go of the sword, and Jenny realized what had happened.

                 "Michael!" she screamed. He turned around to face her, and tears sprang up in her eyes as she took in the sword sticking out of Michael's chest just below his right shoulder.  "No!"

                Michael looked at her, then down at the sword in disbelief. "Shit," he muttered, and fell to his knees. Jenny fell beside him, hands on his chest as if that would help him. 

                Her eyes met his again, and he winced in pain. "I'm sorry," he whispered. 

                Tears streaming down her cheeks, she grabbed the sword handle and pulled it out of him slowly. He gasped and collapsed on his back. Jenny leaned over him, touching one hand to his forehead. 

                "You're going to be okay, Michael. I promise."

                He smiled faintly, then cringed with pain again. "Just … get everyone out of here."

                She sniffled. "I'll be right back for you, okay? Just stay still."

                He nodded and closed his eyes. 

                Jenny wiped at her eyes with her shirt sleeve, then stood, the bloody sword still in one hand. 

                "Oh, isn't that just a shame?"

                She lifted her head and glared at Troy, who had retrieved his other sword and stood rolling his eyes. The pain in her ankle, while not gone, was forgotten. Her chest felt about to explode, and it was Troy's fault. For that brief moment, her fear of him burned away in her complete hatred. He was trying to destroy everything she'd known, and he couldn't get away with that. Not if she could help it. 

                Troy must have seen something in her eyes, because he stopped smiling. "So you've got some guts after all…" he said, raising the sword. "Well, let's finish this then."

                Jenny nodded, her jaw set in anger and determination. "Yes. It ends now, Troy."

                She ran at him, swinging the sword in long-ago learned moves. Her mind lifted away from her body, and her arms and legs moved independently of any conscious thoughts. Her focus was on Troy and Troy alone – anything happening around them, even Michael, faded away, and blocks and attacks took over. 

                Then she found herself standing over Troy, out of breath. She couldn't really remember how it had happened, but he was lying on the ground, his sword ten feet away, and the point of her sword directly over his heart, if he had one. 

                For a moment, all she could do was just stare at him. Her arms seemed frozen, disconnected from her brain. She stared into the depths of his eyes, and a storm of feelings fought inside her. All the fear, the anger, the helplessness rose to the surface in her chest, and she felt like she would burst. All of this, the kidnapped people, everything – she could end it all right now. All she had to do was push. 

                Troy stared up at her with silver molten eyes, and smiled. 

                "Go ahead, do it."

                Tears filled her eyes. The turmoil inside of her combined into one and filled her arms with strength. She gasped, crying out, and shoved with her entire weight on the sword handle. 

                Troy's mouth opened wide, and he screamed soundlessly as the point entered his heart. The light in his eyes grew so bright Jenny had to close her eyes against it. A rush of air blew through her hair, and she opened her eyes. Troy was gone. The sword stuck out of the ground, surrounded by dust. 

                Exhaustion and relief overcame Jenny, and she collapsed to the ground. 


	34. chapter 34: closure

(**Author's note: I'm done!!! I'm finally done with this thing!! Whoo hoo!! *dances in a circle* You don't understand how glad I am to finally have this done. lol. I started it in August of 1998. That's a long freaking time!  *sigh of relief* I only hope the ending is good, because if not… What a waste. :-P So, let me know what you think of the end! Did I leave out anything that needed to be tied up?**

**Mandy: lol, yeah, Troy finally got his. Just goes to show, if you're gonna be evil, don't be evil around the protagonist. ;-) **** Hehe, anyway, I hope this ending satisfies you. Let me know!**

**Dragon Fire: Well, I didn't exactly hurry on this… But it's the last chapter, so there won't be any more waiting. lol. And Damian's around somewhere, don't you worry.**

**Laney: I'm glad you liked that chapter! I wasn't too sure about it, and I worked hard on it, so it's good to hear you liked it. *grin***

**The Cat: Too late for more threats. It's over now! lol. Oh well, nice try. ;-)**

**Redaura: LOL! Little happy jig there? Hehe. And like I told Dragon Fire, Damian's around. He'll show up again. :-)**

**Spunky: You think that last chapter took long enough… lol. I just couldn't get myself to write this one, hence the long delay. But I hope you still think the story kicks ass after you read the end! **

**Soraia: *cringe* Now I feel bad again, because I never got around to reading your story. Sorry… I _swear one of these days I'll read it! And Damian's not a wuss. lol. He was just … busy… probably beating up someone else. ;-)_**

**Goss:  I would never do such a thing as that… Michael's just Michael. I don't *need*  to bump him up by putting a sword through him. ;-) **

**Anonymous: Well, you didn't put a name, so I named you. lol. I'm glad you like the story.**

**Ryl: Gee, how do you really feel about that? hehe. Well, read on and you'll find out what happens. **

**Baloo: Ooh, comparing my story to an Anita Blake novel? Makes me feel all warm and bubbly inside. lol ;-) I'm glad you finally picked up LKH's books, by the way. AHH! How could you say that about Raina and Michael? Gag me. Lol. Whatever gave you the idea that they might? Just 'cause she has a crush on him? Not good enough. Hehe. As for your "sequel" idea. It's funny you mentioned that because I had been thinking the same thing. About following another character later on. But I haven't decided if I'm going to do it or not. I much prefer writing original stuff, so… I might, though. :-) Oh, and two words: THE RESURRECTION! WRITE IT! NOW! Okay, so that was five, but you get the drift. ;-) **

**Emmanuelle: Wow, you read it all in one sitting? *I* couldn't even do that, and I wrote the stupid thing! lol. As for the soulmate thing… *sigh* People keep saying that. But I honestly don't know how to change it because this is how I envisioned it. Maybe I'll do a rewrite someday.**

**Leian: Glad you read it and liked it. :-) I've been meaning to read your story, A New Leaf, but I haven't really had the chance to yet. Not to mention I just suck at sitting and reading at the computer. :-P I'm glad you liked my portrayal of Damian. I was really unsure about that throughout the whole story because I thought I might have made him too unbelievable and wussy. So it's reassuring to hear you say that. As for Michael, all I have to say is I never said he was dead. You interpreted that yourself (which surprised me, I admit). ;-) **

**Thanks everybody who's been commenting! I really, really, REALLY appreciate it! It's nice to get feedback on stuff I write. I do prefer writing original stuff, but then I have nobody to give me feedback – that's what's nice about fanfiction. So I might take Baloo on her idea. Maybe. If you guys have any ideas about what I could do with a follow-up sequel about another of the characters, let me know. :-) Okay, here we go with the end!)**

***Chapter 34***

                "Jenny…"            

The voice drifted slowly, distorted as if it had to fight through a thick fog.

                _Go away, she found herself thinking. She floated in semi-consciousness, blanketed in warmth and gentle light._

                "Jenny." The voice was more insistent that time, and it caught Jenny's attention.

                _Oh, for the love of God, okay… _

                She peeled one eyelid open to find three figures standing over her, backlit by harsh light. She blinked and opened her other eye.

                "Are you okay?" Mari stared down at her with concern in her eyes. 

                Jenny's heart jumped as everything came back to her in a rush. _Oh my God, __Troy__! She sat up quickly, and her vision spun. She groaned and covered her eyes with her hands. "What happened?"_

                "You beat Troy, that's what happened." That was Gunther. Jenny dropped her hands and blinked against the light. Even kneeling next to her, Gunther towered above her.     Mari grinned. "And once he was gone, everybody else ran. What a bunch of cowards!"

                Jenny glanced around and realized people – humans – were cheering and hugging each other. They'd done it! She could see Tiffany and Carl talking over at one side of the room. Damian was nowhere in sight.

                "What about Hunter?" she asked. 

                "Bastard got away in all the chaos," Gunther muttered.

                Jenny rolled her eyes. "That figures."

Standing next to Mari, Ashton held out a hand and helped Jenny to her feet.  She had dirt smudged on her face and dust in her hair, but she still managed to look radiant when she smiled at Jenny. "I'm glad you made it."

                Jenny couldn't help but smile back. "Me too. Dying probably would have ruined my day."

                To her surprise, Ashton swept her up in a hug. "Thank you," Ashton breathed.

                Jenny stepped back. "For what?"

                Ashton's eyes gleamed. "Everything. For coming after us. Taking care of us. Saving us all."

                "Oh, it wasn't just…"

                Mari interrupted. "Yes, it was. It was you, Jenny. If you hadn't come after us – if you'd left us down here to die – you wouldn't have been here to kill Troy. And we'd all be dead now." 

                Heat rose to Jenny's cheeks. "Any of us would have done it. You just happened to get caught first."

                Mari wrapped her small arms around Jenny, and Jenny hugged her back tightly. "Thanks," Jenny whispered.

                When they pulled back, Mari had a serious expression on her face. 

                "What's wrong?" Jenny asked.

                "We need to talk," Mari said softly.

                "Uh oh. About what?"

                "Come over here."

                Mari led her away from Gunther and Ashton, who were helping up a girl who sat dazed on the ground behind them. When they were out of earshot, she stopped. She gazed at Jenny, a thoughtful expression on her face.

                "Is there something going on with you and Damian?"

                Jenny thought her heart stopped for a second. She hadn't been expecting that question. "I… What do you mean?" she stammered.

                "I heard you talking to that Selene girl last night, about soulmates. You… Well, I got a feeling about things after I saw you out there fighting him. Just tell me I'm crazy."

                Jenny paled. What should she say? She wanted to tell Mari she was crazy, and have her forget it all. But at the same time, she was dying to talk to her about it. Mari was her best friend after all. She shouldn't keep things from her. But she was scared of what Mari might think of her when she found out the truth. Maybe all that telling her would accomplish would be losing her.  "I…"

                Mari must have been able to read her expression, because her face softened, and she said, "Don't worry. I won't hate you for it. I promise."

                Jenny frowned. "I think… I _know … Damian and I … we're soulmates."_

                The surprise that Jenny expected never surfaced on Mari's face. Instead, Mari gave a small smile. "I knew," she said softly. "Somehow I just knew. After that first night… When you said he was dead, and then he wasn't… It just wasn't like you. But I didn't stop long enough to think about it." 

                She grabbed Jenny's hand and squeezed it. "What are you going to do?"

                Jenny blinked. "Do? Nothing. I already told him it can't happen. We're going to go our separate ways."

                Silence. Then Mari narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head to look at Jenny inquisitively. "Are you sure? Because from what I've heard, soulmates can't live without each other."

                "But he's…"

                "A vampire. I know. But I just think… Well, you shouldn't dismiss him so quickly. After being down here, I've met quite a few vampires who are decent. And… Jenny…" She hung her head. "I don't think I want to be in the gang anymore after this."

                Jenny stared at her a moment. "Mari…"

                When Mari lifted her head again, her eyes were wet with tears. "I know I should hate the Night World even more after all this. But… I don't think I could ever hunt again without wondering if the vampire I killed was like Ashton, and didn't deserve to die. They're just like us. Some are good. Some are bad. I couldn't live with myself if I just killed randomly." She looked at the ground.

                Jenny gave a small smile and patted Mari's arm. "I know exactly what you mean. I was going to tell you the same thing. Only you put it much better."

                Mari wiped at her eyes. "But you still don't want to be with Damian? I know he's kind of a bully. But from what I've seen and heard from him, he seems like a decent guy."

                Jenny set her jaw  and tried not to think about it. "No. It's just … impossible."

                "Is this… about Michael?" Mari narrowed her eyes at her again. The girl was just too damned perceptive for her own good. 

                "I … don't know. I really don't…" Jenny stopped, her eyes widening. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God! Michael! He was hurt!" Why hadn't she remembered him until now?

                Mari's eyes widened. "Where is he?"

                Jenny was already scanning the room. She found him about 20 feet away, still lying on his back with a pool of blood spreading underneath him. 

                "Oh God." Jenny raced to him and threw herself to her knees next to him. "Michael!" She shook his shoulder. "Michael, wake up! Are you okay?"

                For a moment, she got no response, and it felt like the blood in her veins froze to a stop. "Oh, God, Michael, you can't be dead!"

                His eyes fluttered, then opened. His dark eyes stared vacantly in her direction for a few seconds before focusing on her. He groaned. "What happened?"

                Tears spilled down Jenny's cheeks. "Oh, thank God, you're okay!" She threw her arms around him, lifting him slightly off the ground. "I thought you were gone."

                His laugh sounded more like a groan. "Takes more than a flesh wound to keep me down." 

                She laughed and buried her face in his chest. "Oh, Michael."

                A hand stroked her hair softly, and she raised her face to look at him. He gazed at her intently, his eyes seemingly looking into her soul.

                "What?" she whispered. 

                "Jenny… I've been meaning to tell you something."

                Her eyes widened. People sure seemed to want to talk a lot all of a sudden.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear gently. "I want to be with you, Jenny. I… I've wanted to for a long time."

Jenny opened her mouth, and he silenced her. "No. Wait. Let me finish." 

He struggled to a sitting position, gasping in pain with every movement. "I knew what I felt. But I never wanted to admit it. I don't know why. I just … I guess I wasn't sure what you would think. And now… after all this… I don't think I should wait anymore." He took her hand in his, and she stared at him, awestruck. "I think I'm in love with you, Jenny." He leaned toward her and kissed her softly on the lips. The kiss was gentle, almost shy, and ended almost as fast as it had begun.

She couldn't move, couldn't speak. All she could do was stare. For a moment, she wasn't sure she'd heard him right. But he kept watching her expectantly, his eyes filled with an emotion she hadn't seen there before. Oh God, how she'd wanted nothing more than for him to look at her like that.

_Take it back, she found herself thinking. She'd been waiting for this for so long, and now that it seemed to be here, she suddenly didn't want it to happen. So why wasn't she jumping with joy? Michael was everything she'd always wanted, and now she could have him. He was offering himself to her on an open platter, and she suddenly felt the urge to send it back._

And when she'd regained consciousness, her first thoughts had been about somebody else.

"Michael…" Her voice came out deep, laced with emotion. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say that."

                A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth, and it made him even more gorgeous than usual. He started to say something, and she put a finger over his lips to quiet him.

                "Wait. I'm not done." He closed his mouth and gazed at her. A lock of his curly hair fell over one eye, and she brushed it away. 

                For a moment, she couldn't get her mouth to work, and when it finally did, she couldn't believe what came out.

                "I can't."

                His face fell, and he let go of her hand. "You … can't?"

                She shook her head and stared at the dirt floor beneath them. "I'm sorry."

                "But… why? If you feel the same way?"  He couldn't disguise the hurt and disappointment in his voice.

                "I do love you, Michael. I always will. I just think … It's not the same anymore."

                He bent over, wincing against the pain, to put his face between hers and her view of the ground. "What's not the same?"

                Her eyes filled with tears. An image popped into her head, a face surrounded by dark hair and with eyes like icicles surrounded by violet sky. She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't _pretend.  "You mean so much to me," she whispered. "But there's … somebody else I have to be with… I __want to be with."_

                Michael raised a brow. "Who?"

                Jenny smiled sadly at him, but didn't answer. At that moment, Mari and Ashton came over to help, and the moment was broken. They helped him to his feet, and Mari fussed over his wound. As soon as Michael's eyes were off her, Jenny let out a deep breath, feeling a bit shocked at herself. 

                "Will he be okay?" she asked Mari. 

                "Good as new in a few weeks. We just need to get him to a doctor is all."

                Gunther appeared and slapped Michael's other shoulder. "You're lucky Troy missed your vital organs."

                Michael winced. "I know."

                Raina walked up then. Her red hair curled around her face, which was flushed with excitement. "Everybody okay?" she asked. If you hadn't known she'd just about been lunch, you never would have guessed, with the way she eyed them calmly. 

                "We're fine. Are you okay?" Mari asked.

                Raina arched an eyebrow and looked at her fingernails. "Oh, me, I'm fine," she said, trying to sound bored. Then she grinned. "Some fight, huh?" Her eyes met Jenny's, and she nodded at her, a smile at the corner of her mouth. Jenny nodded back. She and Raina understood each other better now. Although they could never be friends, they would respect each other.

                For a while anyway.

The group began chatting about the fight. Jenny watched them talking with a kind of detachedness, her mind a million miles away. She still couldn't quite believe she'd turned down Michael. He seemed to be taking it okay, though. He looked at Jenny occasionally, but didn't say anything, and when Ashton looped her arm through his, he hadn't pushed her away.

Jenny sighed and gazed blankly into the space over Michael's shoulder. That was when she saw the figure in black walking away from them, heading for the exit.

                Her mouth fell open and she gasped.

                "Damian!" she cried and took off after him, surprising Michael and Gunther.

                Damian stopped but didn't turn to face her. She could see his shoulders tense up as she approached him.

                She reached him and grabbed his arm, spinning him to face her.

                "Where are you going?" she asked as he turned. Her mouth went dry as she saw the expression on his face. Sorrow. So much of it. He was so sad, and hurting inside. He tried to hide it, but she could see it anyway.

                "Why are you here, Jenny? Shouldn't you be over there with your boyfriend? What difference does it make where I'm going?"

                "No…" she breathed and instinctively reached for him. He pulled away, out of her reach. Oh God. He'd seen Michael kiss her. And she'd _told him she wanted to be with Michael. "Damian…"_

                He turned from her. "Just leave me alone. Quit tormenting me."

                She caught his hand. "Damian," she repeated. "Look at me."

                He sighed and obeyed. She gazed into his eyes, trying to put everything she felt into that look. "I can't do it," she said.

                He snorted. "What? Look at me?" His voice was so cold, so bitter. He stared angrily at the ground.

                Jenny shook her head. "Live without you." 

                Slowly, he raised his eyes back up to hers. "What … do you mean?"

                "I've been stupid. I've been clinging to this idea, that Michael is the one I want. And now that I can have it… I don't want it." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I want _you."_

                "You … really mean that?" Suspicion filled his eyes. She could tell he wanted to believe her, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it.

                "I mean it more than anything in this world." She spoke with conviction, taking his hand in hers as she said. "I love _you, Damian Silverwind."_

                His expression changed, as if something hard and horrible was melting away. "Jenny," he gasped. 

                She smiled, feeling for the first time in her life that she knew exactly what she wanted and was in the right place at the right time to get it. She wrapped her other hand around his neck and pulled him down to her, bringing her lips to his. 

                She could feel the change in his body. The tension disappeared, and he leaned against her, his arms wrapping around her. The connection between them sang; his presence around her comforted and caressed her. Yes, this was right. No matter how much she'd fought it. 

                He pulled away from her, smiling radiantly, but left his arms around her. He looked down at her, eyes glowing. "You're … not going to stay in the gang, are you?"

                She smiled back. "I'm retired. My vampire slaying days are over."

                "Well…" Damian grinned at her wickedly. "You can 'slay' _me anytime."_

                Jenny rolled her eyes, but hugged him tighter. "Does this mean you forgive me for being a stubborn, pig-headed, illogical human?"

                He glanced at the ceiling and shrugged. "I'll think about ways you can make it up to me."

                She giggled and rested her head on his chest. He stroked her hair. "I love you, Jenny," he whispered. 

                She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, content. This was where she was meant to be, always. There were a lot of things she didn't know about Damian, and a lot he didn't know about her. But they had plenty of time to find out. 

                And at that moment, Jenny felt like she had all the time in the world.

_THE END (AT LAST! I've been dying to type that!)_


End file.
